Days-long protests paralyze Hong Kong: What you need to know
Published Date: 11/17/2019
Source: axios.com
Police used tear gas and water cannon on protesters who shot arrows and threw petrol bombs outside Hong Kong Polytechnic University on Sunday following overnight clashes, per Reuters. Rioters continue to occupy roads outside the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong and charge at Police officers using lethal weapons including bricks, petrol bombs, bows and arrows. At around 2 PM, one member of the Force Media Liaison Cadre was hit in the calf by an arrow. pic.twitter.com/FJMjiBiXV9— Hong Kong Police Force (@hkpoliceforce) November 17, 2019 What they're saying: Hong Kong Police Force said in a series of tweets that the injured officer was taken to hospital "in a conscious state." "He was carrying out media liaison duties at that time, when a large group of journalists were reporting in the same area," the Twitter statement said."Such an attack poses a grave threat to the safety of every person at the scene. ... Due to the deteriorating situation, members of the public are advised to avoid travelling to the area [near the university]."Driving the news: "After a few quiet hours as protesters slept on lawns and in the university library, police fired fresh rounds of teargas shortly after 10 a.m.," Reuters reports. "Activists hurled petrol bombs in return, some igniting trees outside the campus."Why it matters: This week has seen some of the bloodiest clashes between police and protesters since the massive pro-democracy demonstrations began in June — "and schools have become a driver of the city's uprising against China's ruling party," the Wall Street Journal notes.More than a third of the 4,000 protesters arrested are ages 20 and younger, per police records, the youngest of whom was arrested at age 11. "[T]he extreme youthfulness of Hong Kong’s protests has alarmed Chinese and local officials," per the WSJ.Beijing holds the school system responsible for failing to impart a strong sense of Chinese national identity to Hong Kong’s young people, with some officials blaming educators specifically. Chinese state media said on Tuesday that Beijing had written new education guidelines that feature "the goal to build a stronger national identity for students in Hong Kong and Macau," the WSJ notes.What's happened this week: Five months of unrest intensified with five consecutive days of demonstrations this week. Police opened fire on protesters during rush hour Monday, injuring a 21-year-old man. Activists have vandalized police stations, train stations and shopping malls, Reuters notes, and schools were closed this week amid concern for students' safety. More than 390 high schools, about 80% of which are secondary schools, established “concern groups” to organize protests. Educators fear a curriculum push for Communist Party ideology could be re-upped in classrooms, per WSJ.On Saturday, Chinese army troops stationed in the semiautonomous territory cleared streets that protesters clogged with debris to slow down police.Hong Kong government official said the Chinese army operation was a "voluntary community activity," per Reuters.The big picture: Authorities hoped the October withdrawal of an extradition bill that triggered the city's protests would quell the unrest.However, protesters are concerned China may suppress the high degree of autonomy they've enjoyed since the former British colony was returned to the country in 1997.Go deeper: Violence in Hong Kong as leader denounces "enemies of the people" Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.