It’s being reported that Police have confirmed that they are evacuating students from Hong Kong:
THURSDAY: Police confirm evacuating mainland #China university students from #HongKong by boat. Other students on social media say taking taxis, volunteer private cars to catch trains to nearby mainland city Shenzhen. SZ Communist Party youth league offering them free room/board.
— Eunice Yoon (@onlyyoontv) November 14, 2019
A letter, reportedly penned by a mainland Chinese exchange student in HK, says their evacuation from the city was forcibly organised by the Chinese gov w/o any consultation w students; author received a call demanding evacuation orders be followed.https://t.co/MtVtI4yet2
— Mary Hui (@maryhui) November 13, 2019
And as violence spreads the first government-organized evacuation from #HongKong launched: Taiwan is arranging flights to evacuate #CUHK Taiwanese students who wanted to leave the city. Flights leave today and tomorrow; in response to requests of worried parents – @liuhsiuwen pic.twitter.com/aPInniXfWQ
— Michael Bociurkiw (@WorldAffairsPro) November 13, 2019
Evacuation from CUHK asisted by Hong Kong Marine Police. Sorry, only Mainland Students are allowed to broad. Only their lives matters, but not Hong Kong people. #CUHKMassacre #CUHK @StandNewsHK pic.twitter.com/mBKP5rytTf
— ellie (@_ellieberry) November 13, 2019
A group of 60~ Taiwanese students got a short notice from student body and TW’s Mainland Affairs Council to arrange to leave CUHK for airport and return to Taiwan. But since roads are blocked, they are walking for about 20 minutes to Ma On Shan. pic.twitter.com/JOCadksl1O
— Alvin L (@alvinllum) November 13, 2019
🇭🇰 Reportedly Chinese Univ. Of Hong Kong #CUHK Decided To Terminate Upper Semester Wednesday.
Also 'Chinese' Students' Evacuation From HKG Has Begun W/ Help Of HKG Police. #HongKong
— tokyopotato (@tokyopotato120) November 13, 2019
So the question is why would China and Hong Kong officials be evacuating students? I’ve read that some of the violence has shifted to college campuses. But what I’m seeing on Twitter is that China is about to increase their crackdown on the unrest…
Evacuation of Chinese students means the hk gov is planning to further escalate on violence used. Please be reminded that the students did not win the battle and the police will be back soon. Please help us already!! #HongKong #SOSHK
— Flowerhanako 😷 (@Flowerhanako1) November 13, 2019
This from South China Morning Post:
Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong says the city is “sliding into the abyss of terrorism” and a harsher crackdown is needed to end the unrest and restore order.
The warning comes as the financial hub reels from some of the worst violence since massive anti-government protests started five months ago, with the number of protesters arrested since Monday surpassing the total for the whole previous week.
This week, a protester was shot by police, a man was set on fire, roads were blocked and university campuses turned into battlegrounds.
As the Hong Kong government struggles to calm the public and stop the violence, Beijing has again thrown its weight behind the city’s administration and police force, urging them to take tougher action.
In a statement late on Tuesday, the central government’s liaison office said it “resolutely supports the Hong Kong government in adopting every necessary measure to end the unrest and restore order as soon as possible, arrest the criminals and severely punish their violent acts”.
It called on the Hong Kong government, police and judiciary to “decisively adopt all necessary means to forcefully crack down on various acts of violence and terrorism”.
The liaison office also warned at the time that “if these terrorist atrocities were allowed to spread, Hong Kong would slide into a bottomless abyss”.
Yeah, it looks like it’s about to get real ugly in Hong Kong.