China supporters and extradition protesters clash

Tensions over Hong Kong’s future have emerged at an Australian university, with footage on Wednesday 24 July showing a fraught confrontation between supporters of China’s government and protesters opposed to the Asian financial hub’s proposed extradition bill, reports The Straits Times.

The rival groups faced off at a University of Queensland campus in Brisbane, with one side singing pro-China songs and the other chanting “free Hong Kong”. Footage posted on Twitter showed protesters hurling verbal abuse as police tried to calm the situation, while punches were thrown between two people.

The university said in a statement that it had requested police support due to “safety concerns”. It said: “One of the roles of universities is to enable open, respectful and lawful free speech, including debate about ideas we may not all support or agree with.”
Full report on The Straits Times site