The Polytechnic University of Hong Kong (PolyU) was Sunday, November 17, the scene of new clashes between police and protesters. Hundreds of protesters have retreated into the buildings on the Kowloon Peninsula, which in recent days has become the main frontline of the pro-democracy protest.

Hundreds of activists have also blocked the Cross Harbor Tunnel, a road tunnel serving the island of Hong Kong, closed since Tuesday, while dozens of government supporters were trying to clear the barricades in front of its entrance.

The demands of the protesters remain the same: universal suffrage for all Hong Kong elections, or the opening of an investigation into police repression, which they consider violent.

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A wall of Molotov cocktails

At dusk, the police trying to regain control of a pedestrian bridge that spans the tunnel was confronted with a wall of Mototov cocktails that caused fires. In Kowloon, militants hiding behind umbrellas threw Molotov cocktails into the night and sent tear gas to the police.

Previously activists had failed a police attempt to enter the campus, shooting stones from a catapult from the university's roof. The police posted photos showing an arrow planted in the calf of one of its members, deployed near the PolyU. The policeman was hospitalized.

The police denounced the use of "lethal weapons" and described the campus as a "riot scene". A conviction for participation in a riot is punishable by ten years in prison.

New actions planned on Monday

Protesters seek to keep control of the campus as a base for launching new actions on Monday. We need "a base to store our equipment and rest at night, before the next morning's battle," said a 23-year-old PolyU student calling himself Kason.

They promised to continue on Monday blocking operations to "strangle the economy" of the financial center of Hong Kong, which is now in recession. A leaflet posted on a forum advocated for Monday "an action at dawn", suggesting that the blockages could last: "Get up early, directly target the regime, strangle the economy to increase pressure."

The protest mounted a notch last Monday with a new strategy called "Eclore everywhere" (Blossom Everywhere), which consists of multiplying actions - blockages, clashes, vandalism - to test the maximum capacity of the police.

Blocked public transportation, closed schools

As a result, a general blockage of public transport, which has greatly complicated the lives of employees going to work. The authorities had to close schools and many shopping centers. The government has announced that schools will remain closed on Monday as a security measure.

In recent months, the protesters' determination has been met with uncompromising authorities, pushing the semi-autonomous region into a spiral of violence. Two people have died since the beginning of the month.

Chinese soldiers on the street

On Saturday, soldiers from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) garrison briefly left their barracks in Hong Kong to help clear the streets. An extremely rare appearance - the Chinese army normally low profile in Hong Kong - and highly symbolic: the denunciation of Chinese interference in the affairs of the semi-autonomous region is at the heart of the protesters' demands.

The local government said it had "not solicited" the help of Chinese soldiers, who "took this initiative themselves".

With AFP