The months-long protests were spurred by what many residents see as the stifling by Beijing of freedoms guaranteed under the “one country, two systems” formula put in place when Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Anger has grown over perceived police brutality as the protests intensified. Police deny being heavy handed and say they have shown restraint in the face of potentially deadly attacks.

Yet violence has escalated in recent days, with police shooting and wounding one protester at close range and one man described as a “rioter” dousing a man with petrol before setting him on fire. The man who was shot was in stable condition. The man who was lit on fire suffered burns to his torso and head, and was in critical condition.

Footage also shared online shows pro-democracy protesters barricading roads and disrupting transport links, as schools and businesses closed. ​​

At Polytechnic University, protesters shot an arrow at officers patrolling nearby, then threw flower pots from a height when other officers arrived. Police responded with tear gas, and protesters fired more arrows.