Violence escalates in Hong Kong as police storm campus occupied by protesters

Riot police in Hong Kong fire tear gas canisters at protesters.

(Image credit: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)

published 18 November 2019

After a night of violence, riot police entered Hong Kong Polytechnic University early Monday morning, but were met by pro-democracy demonstrators throwing gasoline bombs, preventing them from getting too far.

The protesters have occupied the campus for several days, and on Sunday night, police surrounded the area, ordering them to go. Police have been firing tear gas at demonstrators who are trying to leave the university, and also shot water cannons. The protesters still have control over most of the campus, and the university's president, Jin-Guang Teng, recorded a video message, telling demonstrators he would go to the police station with them to ensure their cases were processed in a fair manner.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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