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Students gather in homage to Alex Chow at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, November 8, 2019. REUTERS / Tyrone Siu

Protesters called for funeral vigils Friday across the territory after the death of a student who fell in clashes between police and protesters.

Alex Chow, 22, was found unconscious in a blood pool inside a multi-storey car park Monday after a night of riots in Tseung Kwan O district, east of Hong Kong.

Tear gas

The circumstances of the fall of this student who participated in the pro-democracy movement remain unclear and controversial. Protesters say that the victim fell after climbing the parapet on one of the parking floors to escape the tear gas fired inside the building. For their part, police officials admit to having used tear gas to disperse protesters near the car park, but say that when it was found, there was little gas in the atmosphere.

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The computer student's death was officially announced this Friday morning at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The director of the University of Science and Technology, where he was enrolled, interrupted the day to announce the death of the young man and call for a minute of silence. A few hours after this announcement, various online forums coordinating the protest movement without a real leader invited the public to come with candles to participate Friday evening in the evening to pay tribute to the student.

Multiplication of violence

Hong Kong is in the throes of a protest movement that has been going on since June. Demonstrations and actions are taking place almost daily to denounce, in particular, the decline of freedoms and the growing interference of China in the affairs of this semi-autonomous region.

But for a week, violent acts have multiplied. On Saturday, police and protesters fought for hours after thousands of people were taken to the streets for an unauthorized parade. The next day, a knife attack left five people wounded, including a pro-democracy local politician who had his ear cut off. On Wednesday, Hong Kong pro-Beijing politician Junius Ho was wounded in a knife attack . And the death of this student could further exacerbate tensions in the former British colony.

(with AFP)