Tensions have boiled over in the city, reaching the business district and campuses following the shooting of a protester early on Monday, November 11.
Hundreds in office wear stood along main roads in Central, shouting at riot police who turned up in the business district and calling the officers “murderers” in Cantonese.
Riot police fired tear gas amid a showdown with anti-government protesters, who had set up barricades in school campuses including Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) , University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam condemns Monday’s violence that started early in the morning and later spread to multiple locations, universities and the city centre.
Lam told reporters at around 6pm violence is not a solution to the problems Hong Kong is facing and it is “wishful thinking” if protesters thought they would achieve their goals through violence.
“If there is still any wishful thinking that by escalating violence, the Hong Kong government will yield to pressure to satisfy the so-called political demands, I’m making this statement clear and loud here. That will not happen,” Mrs Lam said.
In her brief speech, Mrs Lam said the citywide strike and social unrest on Monday “have caused major consequences for almost everyone in Hong Kong”, where people are not able to get to school or even go out to the streets.
She noted that the unrest has led to a larger number of casualties – more than 60 people were injured on Monday, with two in critical condition.
The Hong Kong government, in a statement on Monday afternoon, urged protesters to remain “calm and rational”.
“Protesters should stop all acts that threaten others’ safety and obstruct police’s lawful execution of duty,” it said. (Source: The Straits Times)