Seven local university student unions have issued statements condemning “police violence” and declaring their support for those who took part in the protests in Mong Kok on Monday evening.
Violent clashes between police and protesters erupted in Mong Kok led by localist groups angry with the government’s clearing of street hawkers.
On Wednesday, the Hong Kong University Students’ Union (HKUSU) issued a statement entitled “Forever we stand with the rebels”.
“Unarmed, they struggled against the violence and bloodshed of the police. Many are severely injured, with their situations unknown,” the declaration read. “Three schoolmates were also arrested and hurt, including the incoming Editor-In-Chief of the Undergrad, HKUSU who had been unreasonably arrested when reporting. We promise that we shall offer any possible assistance to the concerned students. We shall never turn our back on or leave them alone and unassisted.”
In a separate post, HKUSU alleged that the arrested students were stripped during a search and kicked in the back while in police detention. They were also reportedly not allowed to speak to their families, nor had paramedics been arranged to examine their injuries.
A ‘result of continuous oppression’
A Hong Kong Baptist University Students’ Union’s statement on Wednesday also condemned the government and the police. It said police unreasonably arrested protesters, beat up journalists and oppressed Hong Kong Indigenous members, who led the protests. “Between the high wall and the egg, we will always stand on the side of the egg,” it said.
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Students’ Union said that protesters had tried being reasonable and had demonstrated peacefully in the past, but they were ignored by those in power. The events in Mong Kok were a result of the government’s actions, they said. The Lingnan University Students’ Union said that the government should bear the greatest responsibility for the “riots”, as it was a result of continuous oppression.
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Students’ Union also said that the protests were caused by a variety of social problems and that the government should not push the blame onto its citizens. Hong Kong Shue Yan University Students’ Union similarly stated they would always “stand with the egg” and urged students to support those who were arrested and set to appear in court on Thursday.
Student Union of The Chinese University of Hong Kong criticised police action, which they said “seriously violated police code”, and that the fire of resistance had been ignited by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. “Hongkongers must remember the totalitarian regime and unite,” it said.
Meanwhile, the Divine School of Chung Chi College at CUHK has demanded the immediate release of Scholarism member Derek Lam Shun-hin, who was arrested at the airport on Wednesday morning for alleged involvement in the unrest.
