Hong Kong Protests Intensify Over the Weekend

The confrontation between police and anti-government protesters intensified over the weekend in Hong Kong.

After a two day standoff, riot police stormed Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University, where hundreds of anti-government protesters have been barricaded inside. Activists tried to flee the university wearing helmets and gas masks, some even carrying umbrellas to protect themselves from tear gas. But authorities forced them back inside, threatening protesters with live bullets, if the rioters didn’t stop using lethal weapons in their attack.

Police sealed off roads surrounding the campus and are using armored vehicles as well as  water cannons against the demonstrators. The months long rioting started in June over proposed legislation that would extradite criminals to mainland China. The bill has been withdrawn, but the fighting continues over excessive police force and because activists say their demands have not been met by Hong Kong’s leaders.