Senin, 18 November 2019

Hong Kong protesters make last stand as police close in on besieged university - The Washington Post

Tyrone Siu Reuters A protester is detained by riot police while attempting to leave the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University during clashes on Monday.

HONG KONG — Hundreds of pro-democracy protesters were surrounded by riot police on Monday inside a besieged Hong Kong college campus, as almost six months of intensifying anti-government unrest appeared headed for a bitter and perhaps bloody climax.

Police blocked exits to try to coax exhausted protesters out of the Polytechnic University on Monday, after a night of clashes with students. When some attempted to leave, officers forced them back with tear gas and rubber bullets, and made dozens of arrests. As night fell, and with explosions and black smoke emanating from the grounds, police repeated demands for the demonstrators — some of whom have been there for days — to surrender.

At rallies across the city, people expressed support for the trapped students. “Save PolyU, save the students!” they chanted. In the densely packed streets adjoining the university, demonstrators using umbrellas as shields edged toward police lines and were repulsed with tear gas.

[Hong Kong police move on university campus, threaten live rounds, retreat before growing flames]

Unable to forge a political settlement to end an uprising that has shattered Hong Kong’s reputation as a stable base for business, the city’s embattled leadership has appeared increasingly paralyzed even as it has clamped down harder on demonstrators.

The spiraling violence and heavy-handed crackdown have sharpened concerns about China’s “one country, two systems” framework under which Hong Kong, led by Chief Executive Carrie Lam, is supposed to enjoy relative freedoms and autonomy from Beijing until 2047.

Ng Han Guan

AP

Police in riot gear move through a cloud of smoke at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University on Monday, as the city’s months-long political crisis reached a boiling point.

At the Polytechnic University, a front-line protester, who declined to give her name out of fear of retribution, said people were frantically trying to find a way out of the campus in the face of the police encirclement. Protesters who broke inside a doctor’s office left blood around the room — and a note apologizing.

Some 500 to 600 students remain trapped, said Derek Liu, head of the university’s student union. PolyU’s president, Jin-Guang Teng, in a video statement urged students to hand themselves in.

Nearby, broken bricks, scaffolding and fences were strewn across the streets of the Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district.

[Behind the barricade, Hong Kong protesters turn a university into a fortress]

“We feel very disappointed about the government,” said Peter, a 30-year-old clerk, who was dressed in business attire and declined to give his full name as he watched tear gas billow out from an alleyway. “There are many ways to solve the problem, like dialogue. The government hasn’t done anything to solve the issue, instead forcing protesters to violence.”

At a news conference, regional police commander Cheuk Hau-yip said officers had given protesters “enough time and enough warnings” to disperse.

He said there was no plan for police to break into the campus for now. “If they surrender and come out, we will arrange the appropriate medical help for them,” Cheuk said.

Thomas Peter

Reuters

Protesters attempt to leave the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University during clashes with police on Monday.

The violence on campus and the police response point to a lack of leadership and confusion among both Hong Kong leaders and Beijing, said Minxin Pei, an expert on Chinese politics at Claremont McKenna College. Even as police threatened to use live rounds to crush the occupation at Polytechnic, Lam was notably absent from public view all weekend, at a time when Chinese leader Xi Jinping was traveling overseas.

“Carrie Lam really does not want to be seen as responsible for any large-scale violence at this point, as Beijing will make the ultimate decision whether to escalate to use live rounds,” Pei said. “I don’t think Beijing wants to cause massive bloodshed, but the decisions made in Beijing over the next 48 hours will be crucial.”

In a new setback for Lam, Hong Kong’s High Court ruled Monday that the government’s use of a British colonial-era emergency ordinance to ban face masks at public gatherings was unconstitutional. Lam had introduced the measure to aid police in identifying protesters and effectively expand powers of arrest.

Lam visited an injured police officer in the hospital on Monday, but did not make public remarks, and her office did not respond to a request for comment. In a message on Facebook later, she condemned protesters and urged them to obey police.

The clashes renewed concerns that the Hong Kong government might suspend local district elections Nov. 24. Patrick Nip, a Hong Kong official responsible for mainland affairs, said the vote depended on protesters’ halting violence.

With the crisis escalating, fears are mounting that China’s ruling Communist Party might attempt a lethal intervention. In 1989, soldiers opened fire in Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds, perhaps thousands, of student demonstrators.

Thomas Peter

Reuters

A riot police officer points a gun at protesters attempting to escape the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Chinese state media, meanwhile, is baying for blood. In a commentary Monday on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, Hu Xijin, editor of the Global Times tabloid, called for Hong Kong police to be authorized to use rifles against demonstrators, who have armed themselves with molotov cocktails, bows and arrows, bricks and other weapons. Snipers should use live ammunition to take out armed demonstrators, Hu said, adding that “if there are rioter deaths, police do not have to assume legal liability.”

In an English-language editorial, the China Daily said Xi had urged Hong Kong’s government to take “firmer action” to restore order, in his strongest statement to date. “The [Hong Kong] government, which has taken a relatively soft line up to now, should shoulder its responsibility to safeguard the lives and well-being of Hong Kong’s law-abiding residents and take more decisive measures to counter the violence and uphold the rule of law,” the editorial said.

Pressured by a trade war with the United States, criticism of China’s repression of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, and a slowing domestic economy, Xi has sought to project a tough line on Hong Kong. But a bloody crackdown would play out under the glare of the world’s media and further inflame worries about Hong Kong’s loss of autonomy.

China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday said no one should underestimate Beijing’s determination to safeguard China’s sovereignty and Hong Kong’s stability.

China’s Defense Ministry also weighed in noting the presence of the People’s Liberation Army garrison in Hong Kong that over the weekend participated in the removal of debris and barricades left by protesters.

“The PLA Hong Kong garrison is determined, confident and capable of protecting national security, development interests, and the long term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.”

Thomas Peter

Reuters

A protester is detained by riot police on Monday.

The protests flared in June over a now-abandoned proposal to allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China. But the movement has grown into a wider pushback against China’s growing reach into Hong Kong, encompassing demands for full democracy and police accountability.

Emily Lau, a pro-democracy politician, said Lam was unable to do anything because “she is waiting for orders from Beijing.” But Xi was caught in a power struggle, she said, and his enemies within the party were “happy to see Hong Kong burn” because it made him appear unable to control the situation.

Between the protesters, Hong Kong’s general population, the local government, and central authorities in Beijing, “the weakest of the four players is our government,” Jasper Tsang, the former head of Hong Kong’s legislature who belonged to the pro-Beijing camp, said over the weekend as he described a city in paralysis.

“The [Hong Kong] government: it is incapable of doing anything, Carrie Lam has admitted it,” Tsang told the Hong Kong Free Press in an interview. “There is no strong decision-making mechanism. [Lam] listens to the hard-liners, and there is no politician who could take responsibility.”

Samson Yuen, assistant professor of political science Hong Kong’s Lingnan University, said Hong Kong’s government had been absent throughout the crisis.

“It would actually be quite surprising it they came out at this moment and suddenly offered a political solution,” he said. “It’s almost designed to be like this, from the moment they decided not to negotiate with protesters. That just means a suppressive outcome.”

Shih reported from Beijing. David Crawshaw contributed to this report.

Read more

Behind the barricade, Hong Kong protesters turn a university into a fortress

What’s happening in Hong Kong? Some key questions, answered.

As unrest paralyzes Hong Kong, college students from elsewhere begin to evacuate

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/hong-kong-protesters-make-last-stand-as-police-close-in-on-besieged-university/2019/11/18/7f614012-09c8-11ea-8054-289aef6e38a3_story.html

2019-11-18 11:09:00Z
52780435950054

Hong Kong protesters make last stand as police close in on besieged university - The Washington Post

Tyrone Siu Reuters A protester is detained by riot police while attempting to leave the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University during clashes on Monday.

HONG KONG — Hundreds of pro-democracy protesters were surrounded by riot police on Monday inside a besieged Hong Kong university, as almost six months of intensifying anti-government unrest appeared headed for a bitter and perhaps bloody climax.

Police blocked exits to try to coax exhausted protesters out of the campus on Monday, after a night of clashes with students. When some attempted to leave, officers forced them back with tear gas and rubber bullets, and made dozens of arrests. As night fell, and with explosions and black smoke emanating from the campus, police repeated demands for the demonstrators to surrender.

Rallies erupted across the city, with people expressing support for the trapped students. “Save PolyU, save the students!” they chanted. In the densely packed streets adjoining the university, demonstrators using umbrellas as shields edged toward police lines and were repulsed with tear gas.

[Hong Kong police move on university campus, threaten live rounds, retreat before growing flames]

Unable to forge a political settlement to end an uprising that has shattered Hong Kong’s reputation as a stable base for business, the city’s embattled leadership has appeared increasingly paralyzed even as it has clamped down harder on demonstrators.

The spiraling violence and heavy-handed crackdown have sharpened concerns about China’s “one country, two systems” framework under which Hong Kong, led by Chief Executive Carrie Lam, is supposed to enjoy relative freedoms and autonomy from Beijing until 2047.

Ng Han Guan

AP

Police in riot gear move through a cloud of smoke at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University on Monday, as the city’s months-long political crisis reached a boiling point.

The violence on campus and the police response point to a lack of leadership and confusion among both Hong Kong leaders and Beijing, said Minxin Pei, an expert on Chinese politics at Claremont McKenna College. Even as police threatened to use live rounds to crush the occupation at Polytechnic, Lam was notably absent from public view all weekend, at a time when Chinese leader Xi Jinping was traveling overseas.

“Carrie Lam really does not want to be seen as responsible for any large-scale violence at this point, as Beijing will make the ultimate decision whether to escalate to use live rounds,” Pei said. “I don’t think Beijing wants to cause massive bloodshed, but the decisions made in Beijing over the next 48 hours will be crucial.”

In a new setback for Lam, Hong Kong’s High Court ruled Monday that the government’s use of a British colonial-era emergency ordinance to ban face coverings at public gatherings was unconstitutional. Lam had introduced the measure, sought by pro-Beijing politicians, to aid police in identifying protesters and effectively expand powers of arrest.

Thomas Peter

Reuters

Protesters attempt to leave the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University during clashes with police on Monday.

Lam visited an injured police officer in the hospital on Monday, staying for about 10 minutes. She did not make public remarks, and her office did not respond to a request for comment. Later in the day, in a message on her Facebook account, Lam condemned the protesters and urged them to obey police.

The clashes renewed concerns that the Hong Kong government might suspend local district elections Nov. 24. Patrick Nip, a Hong Kong official responsible for mainland affairs, said the ability to hold the elections depended on protesters’ halting violence, and that the government would “try our best” to allow the vote to proceed.

At the Polytechnic University, a front-line protester, who declined to give her name out of fear of retribution, said people were frantically trying to find a way out of the campus in the face of the police encirclement. Protesters who broke inside a doctor’s office left blood around the room — and a note apologizing.

The university’s president, Jin-Guang Teng, in a video statement urged students to hand themselves in to the authorities.

Nearby, broken bricks, scaffolding and fences were strewn across the streets of the Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district.

[Behind the barricade, Hong Kong protesters turn a university into a fortress]

“We feel very disappointed about the government,” said Peter, a 30-year-old clerk, who was dressed in business attire and declined to give his full name as he watched tear gas billow out from an alleyway. “There are many ways to solve the problem, like dialogue. The government hasn’t done anything to solve the issue, instead forcing protesters to violence.”

At a news conference, regional police commander Cheuk Hau-yip said officers had given protesters “enough time and enough warnings” to disperse.

He said there was no plan for police to break into the campus for now. “If they surrender and come out, we will arrange the appropriate medical help for them,” Cheuk said.

Some 500 to 600 students remain trapped in the campus, said Derek Liu, president of the university’s student union.

With the crisis escalating, fears are mounting that China’s ruling Communist Party might attempt a lethal intervention. In 1989, soldiers opened fire in Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds, perhaps thousands, of student demonstrators.

Thomas Peter

Reuters

A riot police officer points a gun at protesters attempting to escape the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Chinese state media on Monday was baying for blood. In a commentary on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, Hu Xijin, editor of the Global Times tabloid, called for Hong Kong police to be authorized to use rifles against demonstrators, who have armed themselves with molotov cocktails, bows and arrows, bricks and other weapons. Snipers should use live ammunition to take out armed demonstrators, Hu said, adding that “If there are rioter deaths, police do not have to assume legal liability.”

In an English-language editorial, the state-run China Daily newspaper said Xi had urged Hong Kong’s government to take “firmer action” to restore order, in his strongest statement to date. “The [Hong Kong] government, which has taken a relatively soft line up to now, should shoulder its responsibility to safeguard the lives and well-being of Hong Kong’s law-abiding residents and take more decisive measures to counter the violence and uphold the rule of law,” the editorial said.

Under pressure from the trade war with the United States, global criticism of China’s repression of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, and a slowing domestic economy, Xi has sought to project a tough line on Hong Kong. But a bloody crackdown would play out under the glare of the world’s media and further entrench worries about Hong Kong’s loss of autonomy under Xi.

China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday said no one should underestimate Beijing’s determination to safeguard China’s sovereignty and Hong Kong’s stability.

Thomas Peter

Reuters

A protester is detained by riot police on Monday.

The protests flared in June over a now-abandoned proposal to allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China. But the movement has since grown into a broader pushback against China’s growing influence over Hong Kong, encompassing demands for full democracy and police accountability.

Emily Lau, a pro-democracy politician, said Lam was unable to do anything because “she is waiting for orders from Beijing.” But Xi was caught in a power struggle, she said, and his enemies within the party were “happy to see Hong Kong burn” because it made him appear unable to control the situation.

Between the protesters, Hong Kong’s general population, the local government, and central authorities in Beijing, “the weakest of the four players is our government,” Jasper Tsang, the former head of Hong Kong’s legislature who belonged to the pro-Beijing camp, said over the weekend as he described a city in paralysis.

“The [Hong Kong] government: it is incapable of doing anything, Carrie Lam has admitted it,” Tsang told the Hong Kong Free Press in an interview. “There is no strong decision-making mechanism. [Lam] listens to the hard-liners, and there is no politician who could take responsibility.”

Samson Yuen, assistant professor of political science Hong Kong’s Lingnan University, said Hong Kong’s government had been absent throughout the crisis.

“It would actually be quite surprising it they came out at this moment and suddenly offered a political solution,” he said. “It’s almost designed to be like this, from the moment they decided not to negotiate with protesters. That just means a suppressive outcome.”

Shih reported from Beijing. David Crawshaw contributed to this report.

Read more

Behind the barricade, Hong Kong protesters turn a university into a fortress

What’s happening in Hong Kong? Some key questions, answered.

As unrest paralyzes Hong Kong, college students from elsewhere begin to evacuate

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/hong-kong-protesters-make-last-stand-as-police-close-in-on-besieged-university/2019/11/18/7f614012-09c8-11ea-8054-289aef6e38a3_story.html

2019-11-18 09:43:00Z
52780435950054

Hong Kong protesters make last stand as police close in on besieged university - The Washington Post

Tyrone Siu Reuters A protester is detained by riot police while attempting to leave the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University during clashes on Monday.

HONG KONG — Hundreds of pro-democracy protesters were surrounded by riot police on Monday inside a besieged Hong Kong university, setting the stage for a bitter and perhaps bloody showdown following almost six months of intensifying anti-government unrest.

After hours of overnight fighting at Polytechnic University as riot squads attempted to storm the fortified campus, police blocked exits to try to flush out exhausted protesters. When some attempted to leave, police forced them back with tear gas and rubber bullets, and made dozens of arrests. By late afternoon, police appeared poised to swoop into the campus once again.

Rallies erupted across the city, with people expressing support for the trapped students. “Save PolyU, save the students!” they chanted. In the densely packed streets adjoining the university, demonstrators using umbrellas as shields edged toward police lines and were repulsed with tear gas.

[Hong Kong police move on university campus, threaten live rounds, retreat before growing flames]

Unable to forge a political settlement to end an uprising that has shattered Hong Kong’s reputation as a stable base for business, the city’s embattled leadership has appeared increasingly paralyzed even as it has clamped down harder on demonstrators.

The spiraling violence and heavy-handed crackdown have sharpened concerns about China’s “one country, two systems” framework under which Hong Kong, led by Chief Executive Carrie Lam, is supposed to enjoy relative freedoms and autonomy from Beijing until 2047, except on matters such as foreign affairs and defense.

Ng Han Guan

AP

Police in riot gear move through a cloud of smoke at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University on Monday, as the city’s months-long political crisis reached a boiling point.

The violence on campus and the police response pointed to a lack of leadership and confusion among both Hong Kong leaders and Beijing, said Minxin Pei, an expert on Chinese politics at Claremont McKenna College. Even as police threatened to use live rounds to crush the occupation at Polytechnic, Lam was notably absent from public view all weekend, at a time when Chinese leader Xi Jinping was traveling overseas.

“Carrie Lam really does not want to be seen as responsible for any large-scale violence at this point, as Beijing will make the ultimate decision whether to escalate to use live rounds,” Pei said. “I don’t think Beijing wants to cause massive bloodshed, but the decisions made in Beijing over the next 48 hours will be crucial.”

In the latest setback for Lam, Hong Kong’s High Court ruled Monday that the government’s use of a British colonial-era emergency ordinance to ban face coverings at public gatherings was unconstitutional. Lam had introduced the measure, sought by pro-Beijing politicians, to aid police in identifying protesters and effectively expand powers of arrest.

Thomas Peter

Reuters

Protesters attempt to leave the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University during clashes with police on Monday.

Lam visited an injured police officer in the hospital on Monday, staying for about 10 minutes. She did not make public remarks, and her office did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the latest developments.

At the Polytechnic University, a front-line protester, who declined to give their name out of fear of retribution, said people were frantically trying to find a way out of the campus in the face of the police advance. Protesters who broke inside a doctor’s office left blood around the room — and a note apologizing.

The university’s president, Jin-Guang Teng, in a video statement urged students to hand themselves in to the authorities. Police also urged protesters to surrender.

Nearby, broken bricks, scaffolding and fences were strewn across the streets of the Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district as police began to close the perimeter around the university.

[Behind the barricade, Hong Kong protesters turn a university into a fortress]

“We feel very disappointed about the government,” said a 30-year-old clerk named Peter, who was dressed in business attire as he watched tear gas billow out from an alleyway. “There are many ways to solve the problem, like dialogue. The government hasn’t done anything to solve the issue, instead forcing protesters to violence.”

Sophia, a volunteer handing out food outside a nearby church, said she wanted to help the PolyU students, describing the situation as “heart-breaking.” Some 500 to 600 students were trapped in the campus, said Derek Liu, president of the university’s student union.

At a news conference, Cheuk Hau-yip, a regional police commander, said officers had given protesters “enough time and enough warnings” to disperse.

With the crisis escalating, fears are mounting that China’s ruling Communist Party might attempt a lethal intervention. In 1989, soldiers opened fire in Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds, perhaps thousands, of student demonstrators.

Thomas Peter

Reuters

A riot police officer points a gun at protesters attempting to escape the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Chinese state media on Monday was baying for blood. In a commentary on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, Hu Xijin, editor of the Global Times tabloid, called for Hong Kong police to be authorized to use rifles against demonstrators, who have armed themselves with molotov cocktails, bows and arrows, bricks and other weapons. Snipers should use live ammunition to take out armed demonstrators, Hu said, adding that “If there are rioter deaths, police do not have to assume legal liability.”

In an English-language editorial, the state-run China Daily newspaper said Xi had urged Hong Kong’s government to take “firmer action” to restore order, in his strongest statement to date. “The [Hong Kong] government, which has taken a relatively soft line up to now, should shoulder its responsibility to safeguard the lives and well-being of Hong Kong’s law-abiding residents and take more decisive measures to counter the violence and uphold the rule of law,” the editorial said.

Under pressure from the trade war with the United States, global criticism of China’s repression of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, and a slowing domestic economy, Xi has sought to project a tough line on Hong Kong. But a bloody crackdown would play out under the glare of the world’s media and further entrench worries about Hong Kong’s loss of autonomy under Xi.

China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday said no one should underestimate Beijing’s determination to safeguard China’s sovereignty and Hong Kong’s stability.

Thomas Peter

Reuters

A protester is detained by riot police on Monday.

The protests flared in June over a now-abandoned proposal to allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China. But the movement has since grown into a broader pushback against China’s growing influence over Hong Kong, encompassing demands for full democracy and police accountability.

Emily Lau, a pro-democracy politician, said Lam was unable to do anything because “she is waiting for orders from Beijing.”

But Xi was caught in a power struggle, she said, and his enemies within the party were “happy to see Hong Kong burn” because it made him appear unable to control the situation.

Between the protesters, Hong Kong’s general population, the local government, and central authorities in Beijing, “the weakest of the four players is our government,” Jasper Tsang, the former head of Hong Kong’s legislature who belonged to the pro-Beijing camp, said over the weekend as he described a city in paralysis.

“The [Hong Kong] government: it is incapable of doing anything, Carrie Lam has admitted it,” Tsang told the Hong Kong Free Press in an interview. “There is no strong decision-making mechanism. [Lam] listens to the hard-liners, and there is no politician who could take responsibility.”

Samson Yuen, assistant professor of political science Hong Kong’s Lingnan University, said Hong Kong’s government had been absent throughout the crisis.

“It would actually be quite surprising it they came out at this moment and suddenly offered a political solution,” he said. “It’s almost designed to be like this, from the moment they decided not to negotiate with protesters. That just means a suppressive outcome.”

Shih reported from Beijing. David Crawshaw contributed to this report.

Read more

Behind the barricade, Hong Kong protesters turn a university into a fortress

What’s happening in Hong Kong? Some key questions, answered.

As unrest paralyzes Hong Kong, college students from elsewhere begin to evacuate

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/hong-kong-protesters-make-last-stand-as-police-close-in-on-besieged-university/2019/11/18/7f614012-09c8-11ea-8054-289aef6e38a3_story.html

2019-11-18 08:49:00Z
52780435950054

Hong Kong protest: police and protesters in standoff at university campus – watch live - Guardian News

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YAR9KX-ixE

2019-11-18 07:40:18Z
52780435950054

Minggu, 17 November 2019

Hong Kong police officer shot with arrow, protesters set fires as Chinese troops appear to clean streets - Fox News

As clashes continue to bring chaos to the streets of Hong Kong, with protesters setting fires and slinging arrows, Chinese soldiers were seen arming themselves with brooms over the weekend for the massive cleanup of debris from city streets.

A police officer in Hong Kong was struck in the leg with an arrow on Sunday as another day of violent clashes erupted between pro-democracy protesters who blocked a major road tunnel under the city's harbor and occupied a university campus and police, who deployed tear gas and projectiles.

After holding their ground for most of the day with gasoline bombs, bricks and nails strewn on area roadways, protesters began retreating into Hong Kong Polytechnic University near sunset, fearing they would be trapped as police fired tear gas volleys and approached from the opposite direction.

A fire burns on a bridge occupied by protestors over a highway leading to the Cross Harbour Tunnel in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019.

A fire burns on a bridge occupied by protestors over a highway leading to the Cross Harbour Tunnel in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Fires were set to bridges leading to Polytechnic as protesters tried to keep police from advancing on their campus stronghold. Orange flames extended the length of a footbridge over the roadway entrance to the Cross-Harbour Tunnel.

An armored police vehicle, left, approaches a burning barricade built by protestors near the entrance to the Cross Harbour Tunnel in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019.

An armored police vehicle, left, approaches a burning barricade built by protestors near the entrance to the Cross Harbour Tunnel in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Police had shut down access to the area and massed earlier Sunday in an apparent attempt to surround protesters. Some retreated inside the campus, while others remained outside to deter any advance.

Protestors hurled Molotov cocktails as armored police vehicles approach their barricades on the bridge over the highway, causing one of the vehicles to catch fire and others to reverse away.

Protestors hurl molotov cocktails as armored police vehicles approach their barricades on a bridge over a highway leading to the Cross Harbour Tunnel in Hong Kong, on Sunday.

Protestors hurl molotov cocktails as armored police vehicles approach their barricades on a bridge over a highway leading to the Cross Harbour Tunnel in Hong Kong, on Sunday. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said Sunday on "Fox & Friends" the images coming out of Hong Kong on Sunday were "certainly troubling," and said that China should honor its commitments as it relates to Hong Kong.

An armored police vehicle catches fire after being hit by molotov cocktails thrown by protestors, at right, on a bridge over a highway leading to the Cross Harbour Tunnel in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019.

An armored police vehicle catches fire after being hit by molotov cocktails thrown by protestors, at right, on a bridge over a highway leading to the Cross Harbour Tunnel in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

"We think that there needs to be a dialogue between the government of Hong Kong and it's citizens," Ortagus said. "We're certainly calling for a peaceful resolution and for peaceful protests."

HONG KONG OFFICIAL ASSAULTED IN 'BARBARIC ATTACK' BY PRO-DEMOCRACY PROTESTERS IN LONDON

Hong Kong Police said the officer from the media liaison team was struck in the leg by an arrow around 2 p.m. and taken to an area hospital. Photos on the department’s Facebook page show the arrow sticking out of the back of the officer’s lower leg through his pants.

WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTO

In this photo released by the Hong Kong Police Department, police prepare to remove an arrow from the leg of a fellow officer during a confrontation with protestors at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong on Sunday.

In this photo released by the Hong Kong Police Department, police prepare to remove an arrow from the leg of a fellow officer during a confrontation with protestors at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong on Sunday. (Hong Kong Police Dept. via AP)

Another officer's visor was struck by a metal ball, though he was not injured, according to the Hong Kong Free Press.

“Police warn that the violent activities in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have escalated to rioting," police said in a statement to the news outlet, "Anyone who stays behind or assists rioters may be liable to the offense of ‘Taking Part in a Riot’," which could land someone up to 10 years in jail.

Protesters hold American flags as an armored police vehicle sprays water during a confrontation near the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019.

Protesters hold American flags as an armored police vehicle sprays water during a confrontation near the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

The use of bows and arrows, along with gasoline bombs launched with catapults, threatened to escalate the violence in the more than five-months-long anti-government movement. Protesters are trying to keep the pressure on Hong Kong leaders for full democracy for the territory, who have rejected most of their demands.

After a week of occupations at several major campuses in the last week, protesters have mainly converged on Sunday at Polytechnic, blocking access to one of the three main road tunnels that link Hong Kong Island with the rest of the city.

Protesters react during a confrontation at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019.

Protesters react during a confrontation at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

A large group of protesters tossed bricks in the blocked main thoroughfare in the Mongkok district, as they also deployed makeshift roadblocks to prevent vehicles from getting through.

An armored police vehicle sprays water during a confrontation with protesters at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019.

An armored police vehicle sprays water during a confrontation with protesters at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Police responded by shooting tear gas at protesters and deploying water cannons that stream blue-dyed water to drench protesters. By later in the day, authorities deployed an armored truck identified as a "Long Range Acoustic Device” that a reporter said sounded like a "loud, shrill noise" similar to a car alarm.

Police told the Hong Kong Free Press that the LRAD was deployed to "convey important messages over a long range in a noisy environment."

Protesters react as an armored police vehicle sprays water during a confrontation at Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019.

Protesters react as an armored police vehicle sprays water during a confrontation at Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

“Unlike what is said in individual media reports, the LRAD does not generate ultra-low frequency which will cause dizziness, nausea or loss of sense of direction," the force told the news outlet.

HONG KONG VIOLENCE FORCES STUDENTS TO FLEE, CITY ‘SLIPPING INTO THE ABYSS OF TERRORISM,’ CHINESE OFFICIALS SAY

Sunday’s daytime faceoff came after a pitched battle at night in which the two sides exchanged tear gas and gasoline bombs that left fires blazing in the street. Many protesters retreated inside the Polytechnic campus, where they have barricaded entrances and set up narrow access control points.

Protesters watch as a fire burns during a confrontation with police at Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019.

Protesters watch as a fire burns during a confrontation with police at Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

On Saturday, Chinese Army troops stationed in Hong Kong appeared to clean up the streets, which protesters had strewn with debris to slow down any police advances while they had been on the campus. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers,  dressed in black shorts and olive drab T-shirts, joined the clean-up outside Hong Kong Baptist University, the site of clashes earlier in the week.

The soldiers, jogging in formation, carrying brooms and singing in cadence, were a rare sight on the streets of the city.

China maintains a garrison of about 10,000 soldiers, but they can't operationally deploy in the city without a request from the Hong Kong government. The government said that it had not requested the military’s assistance, describing it as a "voluntary community activity."

The dozens of troops from nearby barracks, alongside firefighters and citizens, helped street cleaners and picked up paving stones, rocks and other obstacles that had cluttered the street and prevented traffic from flowing. Hong Kong riot police kept watch from nearby streets.

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Soldiers from the PLA have been seen on the streets only once since the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997, to clean up from a typhoon in 2018, according to Sky News.

Opposition lawmakers criticized the Chinese military for joining a cleanup to remove debris from streets near Hong Kong Baptist University on Saturday.

An armored police vehicle catches fire after being hit by Molotov cocktails thrown by protesters in Hong Kong on Sunday.

An armored police vehicle catches fire after being hit by Molotov cocktails thrown by protesters in Hong Kong on Sunday. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

The Education Bureau announced that classes from kindergarten to high school would be suspended again on Monday because of safety concerns. Classes have been canceled since Thursday after the bureau came under criticism for not doing so earlier.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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https://www.foxnews.com/world/hong-kong-police-officer-shot-with-arrow-protest-fires-chinese-troops-streets

2019-11-17 14:18:56Z
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Prince Andrew 'bulldozed' his way into BBC Newsnight interview - BBC News

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Prince Andrew "bulldozed his way" into a BBC interview which did more damage than good, according to Royal commentator Dickie Arbiter.

The ex-Buckingham Palace press officer queried why the prince decided to answer questions about his links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The prince said the fallout over Epstein's arrest had been "a constant sore" in the Royal Family.

A lawyer for Epstein's accusers urged the prince to talk to US authorities.

The prince's decision to speak so candidly about his relationship with Epstein - who died in prison after he was charged with sex trafficking - and answer allegations about sex with a teenage girl was questioned by a number of royal experts.

Mr Arbiter described the interview as "excruciating".

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For several months the Duke of York had been facing questions over his ties to Epstein - an American financier who, at the age of 66, took his own life while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.

Prince Andrew "categorically" denied having an sexual contact with Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions when she was a teenager.

The first occasion, she said, took place when she was aged 17.

Asked about the prince's decision to be interviewed by BBC Newsnight's Emily Maitlis, Mr Arbiter said he thought a lot of questions would be asked in Buckingham Palace.

He said: "They will be wondering: was this the right decision? Was the right decision made? Who made the decision to put him on? Did he make it himself or did he seek advice within the palace?

"My guess is that he bulldozed his way in and decided he was going to do it himself without any advice.

"Any sensible-thinking person in the PR business would have thrown their hands up in horror at the very suggestion that he puts himself up in front of a television camera to explain away his actions and his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein."

Mr Arbiter said he believed the interview would have an impact on the Duke of York's relationships with various charities.

'Sign of arrogance'

Other royal experts also questioned the prince's decision to speak so publicly about his relationship with Epstein.

Royal biographer Angela Levin said she was gripped by the interview but felt it was "ill-judged" to offer insights into his life with Epstein.

"Unfortunately it was a sign of his arrogance," she said. "He has always been arrogant.

"The Queen's motto is don't complain don't explain. I think in her heart she will be extremely embarrassed.

"I know for a fact Prince Andrew does not listen to his advisers.

"A very senior member of the press team left suddenly two weeks ago and the implication is he would not have approved of what Prince Andrew did."

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said the interview reminded her of one Princess Diana gave to Panorama in 1995 where she "spilled her soul".

Mrs Bond added that Princes Andrew's lack of remorse in his interview was a "glaring hole".

'Prince or pauper'

Gloria Allred, who is representing some of the young women abused by Epstein said "there is so much truth that is yet to be revealed".

She added: "The charges made by Ms Roberts, whom I do not represent but she is one of the accusers, against Prince Andrew are very, very serious charges.

"Whether you are a prince or a pauper, if anyone has evidence or information that might be relevant to an investigation of a criminal case that person should provide it."

In the lengthy interview, which UK viewers can watch in full on BBC iPlayer or on YouTube elsewhere in the world, the duke said that:

  • On the date Virginia Giuffre says he had sex with her - 10 March, 2001, he had taken his daughter to Pizza Express in Woking for a party before spending the night at home
  • He dismissed claims he was sweating profusely because he had a "peculiar medical condition" meaning he cannot sweat, caused by an overdose of adrenaline in the Falklands War
  • He had commissioned investigations into whether a photograph of him with Ms Giuffre had been faked, but they were inconclusive
  • Speaking out about his relationship with the financier had become almost "a mental health issue" for him
  • He would testify under oath about his relationship with Ms Giuffre if "push came to shove", and his lawyers advised him to
  • He was unaware of an arrest warrant against Epstein when he invited the financier to Princess Beatrice's 18th birthday party at Windsor Castle
  • He did not regret his friendship with Epstein because of "the opportunities I was given to learn" from him about trade and business

Analysis

BBC's Royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell

The interview has been heard and Prince Andrew's answers have been noted with incredulity in some quarters.

The reaction to his words in most cases has been negative and the consensus, in PR terms, is that the interview was extremely ill-advised.

There is a feeling of weary resignation from those who know of Prince Andrew as it was supposed to be an interview for which a line could be drawn under the story for the Duke of York and allow him to move on.

That moment is certainly some way off.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50450207

2019-11-17 13:19:57Z
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Venice closes St Mark’s Square as high water threatens again - The Guardian

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  1. Venice closes St Mark’s Square as high water threatens again  The Guardian
  2. Venice sees worst floods in 50 years  CNN
  3. Venice Flooding Reveals A Real Hoax About Climate Change - Framing It As “Either/Or”  Forbes
  4. Waters Close Over Venice  The New York Times
  5. Venice is drowning. It’s a warning of what’s to come.  The Washington Post
  6. View full coverage on Google News

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/17/venice-closes-st-marks-square-as-high-water-threatens-again

2019-11-17 13:28:00Z
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