Hong Kong protests: Students boycott class on first day back

2019-09-02 15:17:02

Thousands of secondary school and university students have boycotted classes in Hong Kong, in the latest pro-democracy protests. Organisers say 10,000 pupils from 200 secondary schools did not turn up for the first day for the new school year. The student action comes on the same day as a call for a broad two-day strike and large rally. Protests over the weekend saw some of the worst violence in weeks between protesters and police. On Saturday, protesters threw petrol bombs, lit fires and attacked the city's parliament building while police used tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons and fired live warning shots. Hong Kong is now entering its 14th successive week of demonstrations. The protests were sparked by changes to a law that would allow extradition to mainland China, but have since widened to include calls for an independent inquiry into police brutality and universal suffrage.