Paramedics began taking dozens of injured people out of the Polytechnic University on Monday night - while others escaped by climbing down ropes - as the surroundings of the campus remained under police control.
The injured were helped to leave by medics, but had to give their personal information to riot police before proceeding. Some were wrapped up in blankets as they waited to go to ambulances, while others were helped out on stretchers or given oxygen masks. This followed Sunday's clashes between police and protesters, which saw part of the campus in flames in the worst violence in five months of demonstrations .
Another group of protesters managed to escape by roping down a footbridge on campus. They had to go down about eight metres before landing on a flyover, where vehicles were waiting to take them away.
Police later discovered the breakout and fired tear-gas, but by then many people had already fled. Some protesters returned fire with arrows.
Earlier police fired tear gas near the campus despite a ceasefire agreement, and the students' union warned that hundreds of people were still stuck inside – many badly injured.
The situation has remained tense despite the head of the institution, Teng Jin-Guang, announcing he had struck a deal with police officers for a ceasefire, on the condition that the protesters stopped their attacks.
Professor Teng said he hoped protesters would accept the proposed temporary suspension of force and leave the campus in a peaceful manner.
But when a large group of students attempted to leave along Science Museum Road just before 8am, officers shot multiple tear gas rounds at them, forcing a retreat back inside.
The same also happened to another group on Austin Road.
The acting president of the PolyU student union, Ken Woo, told RTHK that around 70-100 student protesters had attempted to leave the campus, but were forced to retreat due to the tear gas attacks.
He said there are still at least 500 people trapped inside the university campus, adding that while fresh water is still available, other supplies such as food are quickly running out. He added that many of the demonstrators are badly injured and suffering from hypothermia following the multiple bursts of police water cannon since Sunday.
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Last updated: 2019-11-18 HKT 22:34


