Hong Kong braces for more protests after clashes at university

Hong Kong is bracing for another day of anti-government protests after a night of pitched battle at a top university.

کد خبر: ۹۳۶۹۸۳

تاریخ: ۲۲ آبان ۱۳۹۸ - ۰۸:۲۵

At the Chinese University of Hong Kong police fired tear gas and rubber bullets as protesters ignited fires and petrol bombs until the early hours.

Considerable student anger over police moving their operation onto campuses was matched by police warning that the rule of law was close to "collapse".

Riot police continue to be deployed across the city.

The police decision to enter campuses signals a shift strategy, correspondents say, as they have largely avoided clearance operations at schools and universities.

Protesters have called for a third day of strikes and disruption to several metro stations has led to another morning of long delays and queues.

This week has seen a marked escalation in violence with intense street battles and flashmob lunchtime protests in the financial heart of Hong Kong.

What happened at the university?

On Tuesday police moved onto the university grounds at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) with tear gas and water cannon while protesters threw bricks and petrol bombs at them.

There were chaotic scenes of explosions, smoke, and rubber bullet gunfire during which scores were injured.

Protesters chanted: "Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong!".

Student representatives said on Wednesday they were seeking a court order to stop police from being allowed to enter university campuses.

The spike in clashes this week came after a police officer shot an activist in the torso with a live bullet and a pro-Beijing supporter was set on fire by protesters on Monday.

The protests started in June against a now-withdrawn plan to allow extradition to mainland China, but have since morphed into wider demonstrations, with activists demanding greater democracy and police accountability in Hong Kong.