Following a tense standoff, all hell has truly broken loose on the campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong with protesters and police clashing in scenes that could easily be mistaken for a war zone.

Early on Tuesday morning, student protests at CUHK began erecting barricades around campus to prevent police from getting in. In the afternoon, police fired tear gas on campus in an attempt to disperse the protesters, however, those efforts appear to have backfired.

Intense photos and videos have been circulating on Twitter showing protesters using Molotov cocktails to push across a bridge leading to campus while police fire back with rubber bullets and countless tear gas rounds.

War zone battle in Chinese University of Hong Kong now. pic.twitter.com/29oT7wutzt — EYEPRESS NEWS AGENCY (@eyepressnews) November 12, 2019

Huge crowd still pushing forward across the bridge, using molotovs to gain ground pic.twitter.com/iX33hb693R — Rosalind Adams (@RosalindZAdams) November 12, 2019

Cuhk truly under assault. Here’s a shot from the police side of the bridge. Hundreds of yards out and the air is so thick with tear gas it’s hard to breathe. pic.twitter.com/0qIKrQmH25 — Paul Mozur 孟建国 (@paulmozur) November 12, 2019

Here’s a better view of what the standoff over the bridge looks like. This truly feels like some antiquated line war, every twenty seconds injured are being pulled back from the front as others push forward. pic.twitter.com/lichwr9OK1 — Paul Mozur 孟建国 (@paulmozur) November 12, 2019

The frontline in CUHK was all filled with tear gas, and a rubber bullet just fly over our heads. #hongkongprotests pic.twitter.com/eiuvWGTLEn — Alvin L (@alvinllum) November 12, 2019

Dozens of students have reportedly been injured in the clashes with the university’s fitness room being converted into a makeshift first-aid center.

In the evening, CUHK vice-chancellor Dennis Ng arrived on the scene to negotiate a ceasefire between the two sides. According to reports, Ng managed to reach a deal with the police commander but that didn’t stop front-line officers from continuing to fire.

#LIVE: Chinese University deputy vice-chancellor Dennis Ng Kee-pui arrives at the campus and tells riot police through a loudspeaker to stop firing tear gas, claiming he has reached a deal with the police commander. https://t.co/MsgzKUIOX8 #hongkongprotests Video: SCMP/Alvin Lum pic.twitter.com/kAkFKk4p0r — SCMP News (@SCMPNews) November 12, 2019

#LIVE: Chinese University’s Dennis Ng makes a third call to the police commander in five minutes, urging them to honour their words to cease fire.

“It is just out of control.” https://t.co/MsgzKUre5A #hongkongprotests pic.twitter.com/eRjChO9ypK — SCMP News (@SCMPNews) November 12, 2019

CUHK vice-president Prof Dennis Ng has arrived at frontline and urge police and protesters to cease fire. But that did little to help the confrontation. pic.twitter.com/CkA8yTaYsI — Alvin L (@alvinllum) November 12, 2019

Police appear to have now regained the upper hand for the moment after rolling out a water cannon spraying blue dye that has the protesters in retreat.

Classes have, of course, been canceled on Wednesday.