London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 11, 2026

Key Officials Hold Meeting at Lam's Residence

Hong Kong officials and Chinese state media warned of consequences if violence continued, as a third day of protests disrupted traffic across the city and the government announced for the first time that it would close public schools.

The city remained confident in its ability to contain the chaos, Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung - Hong Kong’s No. 2 official - told reporters. Demonstrators returned to the Chinese University of Hong Kong and further rallies took place in the financial hub into the evening.

The protests, which have been raging for five months in pursuit of greater democracy in the former British colony, intensified Friday after a student died of injuries sustained near a protest. Chief Executive Carrie Lam - with a fresh nod of support from Communist Party leaders in Beijing - has vowed not to give in to violent demonstrations.

Key developments:
  • City suspends all public school classes on Thursday.
  • Lam reportedly meeting with senior officials Wednesday night
  • Security chief warns of “unthinkable” consequences if violence continues.
  • Local stocks fell, with the benchmark Hang Seng index closing down 1.8%.
  • Oxfam cancels popular Trailwalker event due to unrest.

    Key officials holding late night meeting (11:24 p.m.)
    Local broadcaster RTHK reported government officials arrived at Lam’s official residence around 10 p.m. local time. It gave no further details.


    RTHK separately reported that several black-clad protesters had gathered outside the People’s Liberation Army barracks in the city, where they argued with Chinese military officers who warned them to disperse.

    70-year-old man in critical condition (10:08 p.m.)
    The Hospital Authority confirmed it’s admitted a 70-year-old man in critical condition. He was hit by a brick-shaped hard object during scuffles outside Sheung Shui station in the city’s New Territories, according to local newspaper Ming Pao.

  • Separately, the High Court dismissed an application for an injunction to halt police from entering the campus of Chinese University, Radio Television Hong Kong reported. Counsel for the students had argued there was no rioting within the university and that it was the entry of police that sparked clashes, according to RTHK; counsel for the government said that was not true and that students and protesters were throwing petrol bombs and bricks.

  • Riot police move into business district (8:07 p.m.)
    In Central, Hong Kong’s business and retail center, riot police moved in on roads to clear out protesters in the early evening. Several people were seen being subdued by the police, while others reported pepper spray being used. Officers with helmets, face masks, batons and shields were seen guarding the streets at around 8 p.m. Very few pedestrians were seen in the normally busy area.
    The “unpredictability of the situation in Hong Kong” also led to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. to cancel the 63rd Assembly of Presidents event scheduled to take place next week in the city, the companies said in a joint statement.

    HKU cancels classes for the week (5:51 p.m.)
    The University of Hong Kong, one of the city’s premier academic institutions, said it would suspend classes for the remainder of the school week from Nov. 14-16. It cited uncertainties with the transportation system and time needed to repair damage to facilities across its campus, and said offices would remain open.

  • Taiwan offers to evacuate its CUHK students (5:41 p.m.)
    Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council has arranged buses and flights back to the democratically run island for 85 Taiwanese students who attend the Chinese University of Hong Kong, council spokesman Chiu Chui-cheng said. He said 197 students, including those who arranged their own travel, were expected to return to Taiwan from Hong Kong Wednesday and that the government would continue to monitor the situation in the city and provide necessary assistance.

  • There are 1,021 Taiwanese students currently enrolled in universities in neighboring Hong Kong. CUHK was the site of fierce clashes between protesters and police Tuesday.

  • Police fired 1,600 tear gas rounds Tuesday (5 p.m.)
    Police officials said Wednesday that 1,567 rounds of tear gas were fired and 142 people arrested Tuesday, a day marked by fierce clashes between protesters and officers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The school’s campus “is not a place out of the law,” said Chief Superintendent for Public Relations Tse Chun-chung.

    Police said they had no choice but to use force and set up cordon lines at a footbridge on the campus Tuesday night, and that they fired the gas when “rioters” didn’t stop throwing bricks at their cordon. The university contacted the police force several times Tuesday to ask the officers to leave, police added. They said they agreed to on condition protesters stopped throwing objects including bricks and fire bombs at them, but the demonstrators persisted.

  • China condemns U.S. bill (3:30 p.m.)
    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang condemned U.S. legislation designed to support Hong Kong protesters, urging Washington to immediately stop interfering in the country’s affairs. Geng promised resolute measures to safeguard China’s interests if the bill passes.
    Protest violence has pushed Hong Kong into an extremely dangerous situation situation, Geng said, reiterating Beijing’s support for the city’s police force.

  • Classes suspended Thursday (2:24 p.m.)
    Hong Kong’s Education Bureau announced that all kindergartens, primary and secondary schools and special-needs schools would suspend classes on Thursday for safety reasons. Classes at some local campuses had already been canceled Wednesday, the day after violent clashes raged between police and protesters at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

    Oxfam cancels race (2:08 p.m.)
    Oxfam Hong Kong said it was canceling its 100 kilometer (62 mile) Trailwalker race, citing unforeseeable developments in recent social events and the ongoing traffic situation. The organization said it had made the “difficult decision” after careful consideration as it prioritized the safety of participants and volunteers. It had been scheduled for Friday through Sunday. About 5,000 walkers participate in the event annually.
    China ratchets up rhetoric (1:31 p.m.)

  • Chinese state media responded to the escalating street violence in Hong Kong with harshly-worded commentaries, condemning some politicians and teachers for emboldening the demonstrators as social media users called protesters “cockroaches” and “thugs.” From late Tuesday to Wednesday morning, major state-owned news outlets including the Communist Party’s Global Times, People’s Daily and Xinhua News Agency ran stories on Hong Kong highlighting destructive behavior by pro-democracy protesters. The Global Times repeated a warning that Beijing could intervene militarily.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
John Lewis Partnership Loss Widens to £124 Million
UK Government to Put White Working-Class Social Mobility at Centre of Equality Policy
McLaren Plans £450 Million Technology Investment Creating 1,000 UK Jobs
UK Chancellor Faces Calls for Wealth Taxes and Public Ownership in Autumn Budget
English Mayors to Gain Powers to Impose Uncapped Overnight Tourist Taxes
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Warns UK Government Against Bank Windfall Taxes
UK Air Traffic Control Outage Cancels More Than 2,000 Flights
UK Imposes Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements in the West Bank
UK Borrowing Costs Surge as Middle East Tensions Push Long-Term Gilt Yields to Highest Since 1998
Buckingham Palace Says Prince Harry and Meghan Will Not Resume Official Royal Duties
UK Treasury Faces Calls to Scrap £100,000 Childcare Support Threshold
Trades Union Congress Urges Labour Government to Rewrite Migration Policy
Riot Police Deployed After Anti-Migrant Protests Turn Violent in Portsmouth
UK Considers Replacing Some Disability Cash Payments With Direct Services
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Warns UK Chancellor Against Higher Banking Taxes
UK Announces New Sanctions Targeting Israeli Settlements in West Bank
Metropolitan Police Investigate Alleged Illegal Donations to Reform UK
UK Charges Wiltshire Man With Assisting Russian Intelligence
UK Orders Urgent Review After Air Traffic Failure Cancels More Than 2,000 Flights
Merz Rebukes AfD Expansion in Saxony-Anhalt
King Charles Confirms Prince Harry and Meghan Will Remain Private Citizens
Labour Selects Former Child Refugee for By-Election in Keir Starmer’s Former Seat
Foreign Private Equity Accelerates Takeovers of London-Listed Industrial Companies
NHS Maternity Care Faces Scrutiny Over Support for Mothers After Caesarean Births
BBC Warns Staff Strikes Are Likely Amid Job Cuts and Programme Cancellations
English Housing Affordability Improves to Best Level in More Than a Decade
UK Health Commission Proposes Framework for Wider AI Adoption Across NHS
Labour Faces Pressure for Wealth Tax Ahead of Autumn Budget
Metropolitan Police Open Criminal Investigation Into Alleged Foreign Donations to Reform UK
UK Police Deploy Riot Officers After Anti-Immigration Unrest in Portsmouth and Dover
UK Defends Sanctions on Israeli Settlements Despite Diplomatic Retaliation
UK Air Traffic Control Failure Cancels More Than 1,000 Flights and Disrupts 65,000 Passengers
Compass Urges £10 Million Wealth Tax and Public Ownership Ahead of UK Autumn Budget
UK Government’s Devolution Plans Face House of Lords Scrutiny
Maldives Seeks New Chagos Sovereignty Talks With UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham
UK Airports Face Continuing Disruption After National Air Traffic Control Failure
UK Bans Imports From Israeli Settlements and Expands Sanctions on Iran
British Chambers of Commerce Forecasts UK Growth of 1% as Investment Remains Weak
UK Suspends Local Government Reorganisation Decisions and Cancels Planned Shadow Authority Polls
UK Parliament Opens Inquiry Into Gaps in Climate Change Preparedness
Andy Burnham and Xi Jinping Hold Talks on Trade, Security and British Consular Cases
UK Joins France, Canada and Other Nations in Measures Against Israeli West Bank Settlements
UK Announces New Sanctions Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Networks
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for Business Rate Reform and Productivity Support
UK Farmers Warn Dry Summer Could Reduce Crop Yields and Push Up Food Prices
UK Rail Networks Hit by Widespread Delays After Major Signalling Failures
Matt Clifford Resigns as ARIA Chair After Conflict-of-Interest Scrutiny
UK and France Say Joint Border Operations Have Prevented More Than 48,000 Irregular Channel Crossings
UK Core Inflation Remains Above Expectations as Utility and Commodity Costs Stay Elevated
Jaguar Land Rover Considers Up to 4,000 UK Job Cuts Amid Automotive Industry Pressure
×