Rebellious students and anti-government protesters have abandoned their occupation of at least one major Hong Kong university after a near weeklong siege by police, but some other schools remain under the control of demonstrators.
Major traffic disruption plagued the city on Saturday even as schools and universities remain closed around Hong Kong.
Police retook control of suburban Chinese University after students and protesters left. Police and protesters fought running battles at the campus Tuesday, which had been transformed into a fortress by hundreds of protesters.
Protesters stand near stacks of instant noodles in a canteen at Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Friday, Nov. 15, 2019. Protesters who have barricaded themselves in a Hong Kong university partially cleared a road they were blocking and demanded that the government commit to holding local elections on Nov. 24. (AP PhotoVincent Yu)
The presidents of nine universities issued a joint statement late Friday calling on the government to resolve the political deadlock and restore safety and public order.
Protests are now in their sixth month.
Protesters eat in a canteen at Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Friday, Nov. 15, 2019. Protesters who have barricaded themselves in a Hong Kong university partially cleared a road they were blocking and demanded that the government commit to holding local elections on Nov. 24. (AP PhotoVincent Yu)