Hong Kong Police Call on All Remaining in PolyU to Leave

In this Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, photo, cooking oil prepared to make gas bomb are left by anti-government protesters at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University campus in Hong Kong. Most of the protesters who took over the university have left following clashes with police, but an unknown number have remained inside, hoping somehow to avoid arrest. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

HONG KONG (Xinhua) — Police of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday called on all people remaining inside Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) to leave the campus peacefully as soon as possible.

A Safety Team has been formed with other government departments and independent mediators including secondary school principals, social workers, clinical psychologists, ambulance officers, among others, said the police in a statement.

“The team is on standby in the vicinity of PolyU and will provide assistance if necessary,” said the police.

The statement also noted that a working group set up by PolyU entered the campus on Tuesday morning to persuade the remaining people to leave the campus as soon as possible.

Advertisement

Advertisement

“Police maintain close communication with the school and re-emphasize the two major principles of ‘peaceful method’ and ‘flexible approach’ to solve the situation,” said the statement.

For those in need of medical aid, police will prioritize their medical needs and not arrest them on the spot, the statement said, adding that police will enforce the law on those leaving the campus without medical needs.

The PolyU has been occupied by rioters for more than one week, with a handful of them still staying inside the campus. Police announced on Monday that around 1,100 people have left the campus in a peaceful and orderly manner, including 300 underage people.