A siege strategy, live ammunition warning, and long-range acoustic device are all part of PolyU’s campus crackdown.
Photo: Hong Kong University (pictured), along with other school campuses, have become a new battleground for protesters and police.
Polytechnic University is the latest campus to become the grounds of violent clashes between protesters and police. Unlike last Tuesday’s incident at City University of Hong Kong (CUHK), there are a number of new police strategies which have made this long stand-off the site of an unprecedented crackdown.
Key factors of the PolyU lockdown include:
- Police blocked off all exits at PolyU last night, rendering the school into a state of ongoing lockdown. The police force then announced an order for everyone to leave through a single exit, but many are too frightened to do so due to reports that people who have gone through that exit have been arrested. As of the time of this article’s publication, many of those attempting to escape were either forced back inside by tear gas and sponge grenades, or were caught and arrested.
- The Hong Kong Police Force published a video broadcast warning that officers would use live ammunition if protesters did not “stop all acts of assault”. Photos have circulated showing officers carrying semi-automatic weapons as well as volunteer first aiders allegedly under arrest with their hands tied behind their backs.
- Police deployed a long-range acoustic device reportedly used as a broadcasting system to issue warnings to protesters. John Lee, Secretary for Security, said the device could damage hearing if used improperly, and denied rumours that it could project an ultra low-frequency with the ability to impair a person’s directional sense or cause dizziness and nausea.
This article will be updated as the situation unfolds.
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