Academics, relatives, friends on hunger strike to save young people under siege at PolyU of Hong Kong

People of different faiths come together asking moderation from police who shout “We want a replay of Tiananmen Square.” They also have three questions for Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – A group of professors, parents, social workers and ordinary people have decided to go on a hunger strike to save the lives of young people holed up at PolyU, which is currently under sieged by the police who want to use lethal force. Here is the communiqué they released this afternoon from the Kowloon Union Church on Jordan Road.

Hunger strike against tyranny

Protecting the young generation

We are a group of scholars, parents, social workers and people from different faiths in Hong Kong. We are going on a hunger strike in protest at the Hong Kong Police Force’s siege of university campuses—in particular, that of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University which is still ongoing. The Hong Kong police threatened the protesters with the use of live ammunition on the campus of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), and subsequently invaded PolyU with brute force. Anyone on the Polytechnic University campus, including students, professors, doctors, nurses, emergency workers, journalists, passers-by, and even first aid providers have been now being targeted indiscriminately by the hands of lawless and vindictive police officers.

The riot police are equipped with AR-15 rifles and authorized by HKPF senior officials to use lethal force. At least a policeman chanted "We want a replay of Tiananmen Square Massacre!" and declared that they were on their way to "slaughter the cockroaches" as they marched onto campus.

The police made arbitrary arrests of medical staffs and first-aid volunteers, and brutally infringed the rights to seek medical treatment including the halting of the supply of medicine to those trapped in the campus.

Regarding the immediate crisis that our society is facing, we vehemently present three demands to the HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam:

1.To set up a truly independent commission to investigate the conflicts between the public and the police as well as the root causes of the protests. A concrete time-table of implementing genuine universal suffrage should also be announced in a month. To help resolve the ongoing spiraling conflicts between the public and the police/government, clemency should be given to the protesters especially those with less serious crimes.

2.To order the police currently stationed outside the Polytechnic University to refrain from attacking protesters in an unprovoked manner, so as to encourage students, protesters and their supporters still inside the campus to voluntarily leave without harm. The Government should also rescind its earlier statement that any protester coming out of the campus will be charged for rioting.

3.To guarantee the District Council election on 24th November to take place without cancellation or postponement.

• hong kong
• hunger strike
• democracy
• extradition bill
• rule of law
• police brutality
• siege
• polyu
• hunger strike
• jordan road church