Hundreds rally in TST to show support for holdouts

The protest came after a masked protester on Wednesday issued a statement inside PolyU saying 20 people still remained there. Photo: RTHK

Protester

Hundreds of people on Thursday took part in a rally at Tsim Sha Tsui clock tower to show their support for anti-government protesters, thought to be still inside Polytechnic University in Hung Hom.



The protest came after a masked man on Wednesday issued a defiant statement inside PolyU, saying 20 people still remained there.



"We can sleep well, eat well here but they cannot," said one woman, who joined the protest after work. "They have to beware because every stranger may be police."



"I just want to say thank you. And you are so brave and I hope everyone can safely get home."



Police and Fire Services Department officers entered the campus on Thursday morning and found around 3,800 petrol bombs and other weapons, but did not come across any protesters. Police now plan to hand the campus back to the university management on Friday.



The police had moved in following two days of searches of the campus by a university team, that found just one female protester.



The protesters had retreated into the university on November 17 after vicious clashes with police. Petrol bombs had been thrown at police, an officer was shot through the calf with an arrow and a police armoured vehicle was set on fire.



Police then put a cordon around the campus to trap the protesters. Many gave up but some chose to stay.