Hong Kong on edge as police fire tear gas at university campus

HONG KONG: Hong Kong riot police fired tear gas at City University campus in Kowloon Tong on Tuesday (Nov 12), a day after a protester was shot and a man set on fire in some of the worst violence to rock the Chinese-ruled city in more than five months of anti-government demonstrations.

Some railway services were suspended and roads closed across the Asian financial hub for a second day, with long traffic jams building in the morning rush hour.

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Riot police were deployed at MTR stations across the territory and large queues were forming at railway platforms as commuters made their way to work.

Universities and schools cancelled classes, with students, teachers and parents on edge a day after police fired tear gas and students hurled petrol bombs on some campuses.

More than 260 people were arrested on Monday, police said, bringing the total number to more than 3,000 since the protests escalated in June.

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The metro station at Sai Wan Ho on eastern Hong Kong island, where a 21-year-old protester was shot on Monday, was among those closed.

A water cannon truck was stationed outside government headquarters, where the city's Executive Council was due to hold its weekly meeting.

READ: Hong Kong spirals into rare working-hour violence as police shoot protester

READ: Hong Kong police say man set on fire after arguing with protesters

On Monday, protesters reacted to the shooting of one of their own by rampaging through train stations, barricading streets and vandalising shops.

A man seen arguing with protesters was set on fire and volleys of tear gas were fired at lunchtime in the heart of the city's financial centre.

Hong Kong authorities said that both the demonstrator who was shot and the man set on fire were in critical condition in hospital.

Embattled leader Carrie Lam said the violence has exceeded protesters' demands for democracy and demonstrators are now the people's enemy.

She said the "rioters" were destroying society and would not succeed in their demands with violence in the "special administrative region" of China.

READ: Wishful thinking that violence will force Hong Kong government to yield – Carrie Lam

"If there's still any wishful thinking that by escalaRead More – Source