Protesters build a fire outside the Hong Kong Polytechnic University during clashes with the police. Photo: AFP / Anthony Wallace

Photos from the Frontline of Hong Kong’s Violent University Protest

Fires and explosions racked Hong Kong Polytechnic University this morning as riot police stormed the campus and clashed with protesters.

by Gavin Butler

Melbourne, AU

November 18, 2019, 2:11am

Violence erupted at a university in Hong Kong this morning, following a standoff between police and some 200 protesters who barricaded themselves inside the campus.

straight ups

portraits of hong kong's young protestors

Eric, Aki Okuda

10.17.19

Smoke billowed out of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in Kowloon throughout last night and this morning, after pro-democracy demonstrators — who have occupied the university since last week — lit a fire at one of the entrances. This came after an attempt by police yesterday to clear protesters out of PolyU. Today, at dawn, riot police entered the university amid flames and explosions, and attempted to storm the campus where hundreds of protesters were still barricaded, The Guardian reported.

The fire at the PolyU entrance has since been largely extinguished. Professor Teng Jin-guang, the president of the university, claimed in a video statement that he had negotiated a temporary suspension of violence with the police, and urged protesters to “leave the campus in a peaceful manner."

In the past couple of hours, a number of protesters have attempted to leave the campus, but are reportedly being obstructed by police who are firing repeated rounds of tear gas at them. Some protesters are responding by throwing petrol bombs at the police and attempting to clear a path out of the university.

This morning’s events come after a series of violent clashes between demonstrators and police — including an armoured police vehicle being set ablaze by petrol bombs, police using a water cannon laced with pepper spray to assault protesters, and protesters using catapults to launch bricks and bows to fire arrows at police. One officer was shot in the leg with an arrow, according to the ABC. Police have indicated that they will respond with force — potentially involving the use of live ammunition — if these kinds of encounters continue.

Over the past week, PolyU has become the backdrop for some of the most dramatic scenes since the Hong Kong protests began more than five months ago.

VICE News reporter Laurel Chor, who is on the ground in Hong Kong, expressed uncertainty as to how things would unfold.

"I don't know how all this will end," she said. "More violence is sure to come. It's scary."

Anti-government protesters throw paper to fuel a large fire started by other protesters in a staircase at the main entrance that leads into the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Photo: AFP / Anthony Wallace

Police launch water cannon and tear gas outside the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to disperse protesters. Photo: AFP / Ye Aung Thu

An anti-government protester is showered down by volunteer medical workers after he was soaked in pepper-spray infused water by a police water cannon, inside the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Photo: AFP / Anthony Wallace