HONG KONG — Hong Kong police and protesters hardened their battle lines over the weekend as violent clashes showed no signs of abating, leaving the city bracing for a second week of upheaval that risks disrupting pending elections.
The weekend saw pitched battles with demonstrators launching bricks, Molotov cocktails and steel balls at police, who in turn volleyed tear gas and deployed water cannons. A police media-liaison officer was hit in the leg by an arrow, while protesters tossed petrol bombs at residents clearing streets strewn with bricks.
Police were preparing to clear the remaining demonstrators from Hong Kong Polytechnic University early Monday morning and warned that they could use live ammunition if they faced violence. Police were using water cannon to try to disperse hundreds of protesters dug in at the school.
Soldiers from China’s People’s Liberation Army took the rare step of leaving their barracks to join cleanup efforts. The move added to the concern by some about China’s growing control over the former British colony that has fueled five months of protests.
With tension running high, schools will remain suspended Monday on safety concerns. The escalating violence also threatens to delay district council elections scheduled for next Sunday. There are […]
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