This archive report was first published on 19 November 2019.
On November 19, 2019, anxious relatives of protesters held vigils outside Hong Kong's Polytechnic University as police besieged the campus for three days.
Approximately 100 protesters remained barricaded inside the university, surrounded by riot squads who had been trying to apprehend them.
One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, shared her concerns about her adult son, who had come to the campus as a first aider.
"I was very, very worried, worried his life could be in danger. He's scared. He's scared about being arrested by the cops," she said.
The protests, which began in June over a now-shelved extradition bill, have evolved into a "Blossom Everywhere" strategy of disruptive vandalism, bringing much of the transport network to a standstill and shuttering schools.
However, the three-day PolyU occupation was the most serious and sustained episode yet.
Another mother, identified by her surname Chung, expressed her concerns about her 16-year-old daughter, who was still inside the university despite assurances that minors would not face immediate legal action if they surrendered.
"No one can ask her to come out now. She wants to walk out freely, and does not believe the police at all," she told the South China Morning Post.
