The Washington Post - 14.11.2019

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14 , 2019. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ RE K A

BY RYAN HO KILPATRICK,

ANNA KAM

AND CASEY QUACKENBUSH

hong kong — Hong Kong was
paralyzed for a third consecutive
day Wednesday as pro-democra-
cy protesters dug in and authori-
ties clamped down harder after
chaotic battles between riot po-
lice and student activists the pre-
vious night left a university cam-
pus resembling a combat zone.
Bus routes, train services and
major roads were shut down
Wednesday, as a general strike
called in response to the death of
a young demonstrator brought
more chaos for commuters. Stu-
dents from mainland China and
elsewhere began to evacuate the
city because of the intensifying
political unrest.
Education officials said all
classes would be suspended
Thursday, and some universities
canceled programs until the end
of the semester. By nightfall, pro-
testers resumed setting up barri-
cades and roadblocks in prepara-
tion for fresh confrontations with
riot police.
The rapidly deteriorating situ-
ation has fueled fears of major
intervention by the Chinese gov-
ernment. Beijing has backed the
authorities in Hong Kong, a semi-
autonomous Chinese territory
and one of the world’s major
financial centers, in increasing
repression to try to squelch the
unrest. Front-line protesters have
responded by escalating their ac-
tions against police.
On Wednesday, China’s For-
eign Ministry reiterated that Bei-
jing would not compromise with
demonstrators, who are demand-
ing full democracy for Hong Kong
and an independent inquiry into
what they say is police brutality
during more than five months of
clashes.
“Hong Kong’s problem is not
about human rights or democra-
cy; rather, it’s about stopping
violence and chaos, restoring or-
der,” Foreign Ministry spokesman
Geng Shuang said at a regular

news briefing. Chinese state me-

dia condemned the protesters as

“black-clad rioters” who are en-

dangering lives.

At the Chinese University, one

of Hong Kong’s top tertiary insti-

tutions, there was welcome re-

spite Wednesday after clashes

overnight in which riot police

fired 2,000 rounds of tear gas and

rubber bullets as they tried to

storm the campus but were beat-

en back by protesters armed with

gasoline bombs and bricks.

Police expressed suspicion

Wednesday that the Chinese Uni-

versity had become a “weapons

factory.” The university said it

condemns the violence, noting

that a number of students have

been injured.

With classes suspended, some

students took the opportunity to

leave Hong Kong. The Chinese

government’s Hong Kong liaison

office, which represents Beijing’s

interests, set up a hotline to help

students trying to get back across

the border.

The Marine Police used a pa-

trol launch to evacuate students

who were from mainland China.

All train and bus routes to the

Chinese University were closed,

and surrounding roads were

blocked.

“My parents wanted me to

leave and get out of Hong Kong,”

Yuki, 19, a student from China’s

Hubei province, said as she left

for the mainland city of Shen-

zhen. She said she plans to return

when classes resume.

Jay Thuluri, a Chinese Univer-

sity exchange student from Bab-

son College in Wellesley, Mass.,

said he plans to return to the

United States on Thursday after

his parents told him to get out.

“I came here to study,” he said.

“Now I cannot study because

school is suspended. There is no

point for me to stay here with the

potential of dangerous situa-

tions.”

On Swedish public radio, some

universities called on their stu-

dents in Hong Kong to return

home. Some Taiwanese students

also have left the territory. The

State Department said it contin-

ues to maintain a travel advisory

for Americans to exercise “in-

creased caution” in Hong Kong.

At Hong Kong Baptist Univer-

sity, dozens of protesters erected

barricades at road junctions

around the campus, using street

barriers, bricks and scaffolding.

A 24-year-old woman who gave

her name only as K, citing a fear

of reprisals, said the police had

“crossed the line” by storming the

Chinese University.

“Campus is supposed to be one

of the safest places,” she said.

“The [Chinese] University is a

symbol of liberty and democracy,

and they are trying to attack it.

That’s why students are trying so

hard to defend it.”

Late Wednesday, a court reject-

ed a request from the university’s

student union for an injunction

to prevent police from entering

the campus without a warrant.

In the central business district,

office workers occupied down-

town streets during their lunch

breaks Wednesday, chanting

“Save our students!” and cheering

front-line protesters who faced

down riot police. As the narrow

streets filled with tear gas fired by

police, hundreds ran away cough-

ing, while dozens were subdued

on the doorsteps of luxury shops.

Protesters are pushing back

against Beijing’s increasing en-

croachment on Hong Kong’s free-

dom and autonomy, which China

promised to maintain until 2047

under a 1997 agreement with

Britain that gave Beijing sover-

eignty over what had been a

British colony.

Along with other demands,

protesters are calling for the right

to elect Hong Kong’s leader, who

at present is appointed by a

committee largely made up of

pro-Beijing establishment fig-

ures.

The current chief executive,

Carrie Lam, has withdrawn a

legislative bill that would have

allowed extraditions to mainland

China — the initial spark for the

unrest. But she has refused de-

mands for political liberalization

and an independent inquiry into

police use of force, instead urging

people to wait for the results of an

investigation by a police watch-

dog with limited powers.

“We want to choose a true chief

executive for the Hong Kong peo-

ple,” said office worker Dennis

Tang, 25. “In these five months,

Carrie Lam has pushed Hong

Kong to hell and has used the

police as a tool to suppress the

people.”

The unrest poses a direct chal-

lenge to Chinese leader Xi Jin-

ping. The Chinese government

has accused foreign powers, par-

ticularly the United States and

Britain, of fomenting the unrest.

[email protected]

Liu Yang in Beijing contributed to this

report.

Hong Kong at a standstill as two sides harden positions

DALE DE LA REY/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES

Police detain a demonstrator Wednesday during a pop-up protest in Hong Kong. As pro-democracy protesters prepared for more clashes

with police, authorities intensified their clampdown, with Beijing reiterating that it would not compromise with the demonstrators.

Students from mainland

China, elsewhere begin

to evacuate territory

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