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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/19/hong-kong-protests-hundreds-surrender-to-police-after-university-standoff
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| Hong Kong protests: about 100 still holed up at university | Hong Kong protests: about 100 still holed up at university |
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| Carrie Lam says 600 surrendered to authorities at Polytechnic University overnight | Carrie Lam says 600 surrendered to authorities at Polytechnic University overnight |
| About 100 protesters remain holed up at a university surrounded by police in Hong Kong, on the third day of the most prolonged and tense confrontation in more than five months of conflict in the semi-autonomous city. | About 100 protesters remain holed up at a university surrounded by police in Hong Kong, on the third day of the most prolonged and tense confrontation in more than five months of conflict in the semi-autonomous city. |
| Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, said about 600 protesters surrendered to authorities at the Polytechnic University campus in Kowloon overnight, after police allowed two representatives to mediate between the two sides. On Tuesday, another group was evacuated to seek medical help. | Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, said about 600 protesters surrendered to authorities at the Polytechnic University campus in Kowloon overnight, after police allowed two representatives to mediate between the two sides. On Tuesday, another group was evacuated to seek medical help. |
| Riot police surrounded the red-brick campus that protesters took over and turned into a fortress, firing teargas at groups who tried to escape. Police urged the activists to surrender peacefully. | Riot police surrounded the red-brick campus that protesters took over and turned into a fortress, firing teargas at groups who tried to escape. Police urged the activists to surrender peacefully. |
| Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets over the past three days in an attempt to reach those in the university, prompting intense clashes with riot police firing teargas and rubber bullets and, in a few incidents, live rounds. | |
| Police said they have arrested 1,100 people since Monday. Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority said it has received almost 300 injured people from the university and asked the public not to come to the accident and emergency departments unless absolutely necessary. | Police said they have arrested 1,100 people since Monday. Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority said it has received almost 300 injured people from the university and asked the public not to come to the accident and emergency departments unless absolutely necessary. |
| In her first public remarks since the crisis began more than 36 hours ago with clashes between police and protesters on Sunday, Lam said that 200 of those who surrendered were children and were not arrested. She said, however, that authorities reserved the right to make further investigations. Lam said the other 400 who left the campus have been arrested. | In her first public remarks since the crisis began more than 36 hours ago with clashes between police and protesters on Sunday, Lam said that 200 of those who surrendered were children and were not arrested. She said, however, that authorities reserved the right to make further investigations. Lam said the other 400 who left the campus have been arrested. |
| Lam said she was shocked Hong Kong’s campuses had been turned into “weapons factories” and that police would have to take “necessary action” to deal with violent protesters. | Lam said she was shocked Hong Kong’s campuses had been turned into “weapons factories” and that police would have to take “necessary action” to deal with violent protesters. |
| Groups of protesters have tried to escape the tight police cordon around the campus. Late on Monday, dozens were seen abseiling down a footbridge as police fired teargas, and were driven away on motorbikes. Police later said they had stopped 37 people from that group, including the drivers who were arrested for “assisting offenders”. | Groups of protesters have tried to escape the tight police cordon around the campus. Late on Monday, dozens were seen abseiling down a footbridge as police fired teargas, and were driven away on motorbikes. Police later said they had stopped 37 people from that group, including the drivers who were arrested for “assisting offenders”. |
| Others tried to flee by crawling through manholes into sewers, before firefighters arrived on the scene to warn them it was unsafe. | Others tried to flee by crawling through manholes into sewers, before firefighters arrived on the scene to warn them it was unsafe. |
| As tensions in Hong Kong’s political crisis reach new heights, Beijing has issued increasingly severe warnings, prompting fears of intervention. | |
| Following a Hong Kong court’s ruling that a ban on face masks was unconstitutional, China’s top legislature said only it has the power to rule on the constitutionality of legislation under the city’s Basic Law. | Following a Hong Kong court’s ruling that a ban on face masks was unconstitutional, China’s top legislature said only it has the power to rule on the constitutionality of legislation under the city’s Basic Law. |
| China’s ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiaoming, said on Monday the Hong Kong government was “trying very hard to put the situation under control”. | China’s ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiaoming, said on Monday the Hong Kong government was “trying very hard to put the situation under control”. |
| “But if the situation becomes uncontrollable, the central government would certainly not sit on our hands and watch. We have enough resolution and power to end the unrest.” | “But if the situation becomes uncontrollable, the central government would certainly not sit on our hands and watch. We have enough resolution and power to end the unrest.” |
| An English-language editorial in the state-run Global Times on Tuesday said: “The rule of law can save Hong Kong, but the premise is that the rioters must be punished. The mob’s terror-like violence is bound to be punished.” | An English-language editorial in the state-run Global Times on Tuesday said: “The rule of law can save Hong Kong, but the premise is that the rioters must be punished. The mob’s terror-like violence is bound to be punished.” |
| Several trains connecting mainland China with Hong Kong have been suspended for Tuesday and Wednesday. | Several trains connecting mainland China with Hong Kong have been suspended for Tuesday and Wednesday. |
| Hong Kong’s new police chief, Chris Tang, took office on Tuesday with a warning that “fake news” was undermining the reputation of his 30,000-strong police force and called for the city’s citizens to help end the turmoil. Tang replaced the outgoing commissioner, Stephen Lo, who had presided over months of unrest. | |
| Jasper Tsang, a pro-Beijing politician and former head of Hong Kong’s legislative council who helped mediate the surrender of students on Monday, told Reuters there could be bloodshed if the police entered the Polytechnic University campus by force, where they were likely to meet strong resistance. | Jasper Tsang, a pro-Beijing politician and former head of Hong Kong’s legislative council who helped mediate the surrender of students on Monday, told Reuters there could be bloodshed if the police entered the Polytechnic University campus by force, where they were likely to meet strong resistance. |
| “This is something that we want to avoid,” he said. | “This is something that we want to avoid,” he said. |
| On Tuesday, police said they had found about 3,900 molotov cocktails at another university taken over last week by protesters which has since been evacuated. Police warned there were probably more than that figure at Polytechnic University. | |
| Police said they had allowed Red Cross volunteers and first aiders, as well as secondary school principals, teachers and social workers to enter the university. | Police said they had allowed Red Cross volunteers and first aiders, as well as secondary school principals, teachers and social workers to enter the university. |
| Morale among those left at the university was poor, according to Kevin Chiu, 34, a social worker on the campus who described the mood as “hopeless”. He and his colleagues had been trying to persuade the group to leave. “It’s not easy to talk to them. They think we are bad guys to ask them to leave,” he said. | |
| Parents and protesters held rallies on Tuesday afternoon calling for police to let the protesters leave without threat of arrest. | Parents and protesters held rallies on Tuesday afternoon calling for police to let the protesters leave without threat of arrest. |
| Eva Lau, 51, said she had not slept more than a few hours for the past two nights after she lost contact with her 22-year-old son, her youngest, on Sunday. At 3am on Monday she went to the university hoping to find him but police told her to leave. | |
| Her son has been in touch and left the campus on Tuesday with paramedics and is in a hospital, but Lau has not been able to reach him because of road blockades set up by police in response to the protests. | |
| “Every day from morning until night, we didn’t know what is going to happen and we were very worried. Now it’s a little better but I still have not seen him,” she said. | “Every day from morning until night, we didn’t know what is going to happen and we were very worried. Now it’s a little better but I still have not seen him,” she said. |
| “I just hope to help these kids,” she said. “They are afraid to go out and be captured by the police … They say they would rather die than come out.” |