Hong Kong shutting all schools on Thursday, Nov. 14 as protest violence escalates

The Education Bureau urged students to put their safety first.

Joshua Lee | November 13, 2019, 04:42 PM

The Hong Kong Education Bureau has announced, in a statement, that it is suspending all school classes on Thursday, Nov. 14, due to transportation and safety reasons, reported Reuters.

According to Business Times, around 1,000 protestors blocked the roads of the Central Business District on Wednesday, Nov. 13 during the lunchtime rush hour.

The protestors used bricks to damage luxury stall fronts.

The night before, a number of protesters fire bombed a police station and wrecked parts of a shopping mall.

The escalating violence came on the back of an incident where a police allegedly shot a protester in the chest with a live round.

Subsequently, a pro-government man was doused in flammable liquid and set on fire by a black-clad protester, who have been labelled as a "rioter" by the police.

The man suffered burns to 28 percent of his body.

HK Education Bureau: Students must put their safety first

An announcement on the Hong Kong Education Bureau's website confirmed that traffic and emergency conditions have affected major traffic lines on Wednesday, Nov. 13.

The announcement added that "parents may decide whether their children should go to school" on Nov. 13 and that they should notify the school as soon as possible:

"The bureau stressed that schools should keep their premises open, arrange sufficient manpower as far as possible to take proper care of students who have arrived at school, maintain communication with parents, and allow students to return home only under safe conditions."

The Education Bureau added that students must put their safety first at all times and urged them not to wander on the streets or participate in unlawful activities.

Top image credit: DALE DE LA REY/AFP via Getty Images.