HK Polytechnic University: Images from inside as siege nears end

GBnews24desk//

A four-day siege of Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University (PolyU) is nearing an end, although dozens of protesters remain inside.

Around 800 to 900 protesters have already left the campus, hundreds of whom were under 18, police said.

The campus – which turned into a fiery battleground during the past week – is surrounded by police who are arresting for rioting any adults trying to leave.

Some are too scared to leave as a result, leaving them trapped inside.

The campus siege has been one of the most dramatic confrontations in the wider protest movement that has paralysed the city for more than five months.

Triggered by a now-withdrawn controversial bill, the movement has at its root a fear – especially among young people – that their unique identity is under threat from China.

Hong Kong is a part of China, but as a former British colony enjoys freedoms not seen on the mainland.