Hong Kong: Police detain dozens of protesters

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - Dozens of protesters were detained on Monday as Hong Kong police lay siege to a university, local media reported.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University occupied by protesters since last week has become a hotspot of clashes in the more than five months long political unrest.

"We saw a fiery blaze engulf the gates to our university. Several thousand have been trapped on campus after the police surrounded the school and blocked all exits at around 7:30 p.m. [1130GMT] on Sunday,” Oiwan Li, a student representative told a news conference on Monday, the Hong Kong Free Press reported.

Police has detained more than 50 people, the report added.

Hong Kong, an autonomous region under China since 1998, is witnessing protests since early June, against the Carrie Lam administration’s move to legalize extradition to mainland China.

The government has already dumped the bill, but protests continue with demands to prosecute the police for violence.

In a related development Monday, the High Court ruled that a mask ban imposed by the government was incompatible with Basic Law, the city's mini Constitution.

Lam administration imposed a harsh mask ban on Oct. 5 after protesters hid their identity. Many people were charged and detained for defying the ban.