Hong Kong protests extend to campuses

Violence in Hong Kong has sparked an exodus of students. The Technical University of Denmark called home 36 students who had to leave their dormitories for security reasons. Anti-government protests have extended to schools across the territory since Tuesday night. Several Norwegian students moved from Hong Kong Baptist University to a hotel on Wednesday for safety, and many from mainland China fled to the border city of Shenzhen.

Why did the unrest escalate? Authorities raided the Chinese University of Hong Kong late Tuesday, saying they suspected demonstrators used it as a base to make gasoline bombs. At midday, more than 1,000 protesters blocked the city’s central district. The Hospital Authority said it treated at least 81 people for protest-related injuries since Tuesday. The Education Bureau described the unrest as “chilling” and suspended classes across primary and secondary schools.

Dig deeper: Read June Cheng’s Snapshots of China journal on how China has worked to shape public perception of the protests.