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26 / Periscope

A lone protester watches as fires rage around Polytechnic University during clashes with police. (Photo Courtesy of Sam Tsang
SCMP)

n November 17, 2019, more At that moment, I thought I come across news about it, I get
than 1,000 radical protest- we were once promising young very emotional,” he says. “Some-
Oers and their supporters oc- people, but we might lose every- times tears just keep streaming
cupied the Hong Kong Polytechnic thing the next second,” he says. down my cheeks uncontrollably.”
University (PolyU) campus and en- Days after his escape, he Sam has been diagnosed with
gaged in fierce clashes with the po- was still gripped by fear that post-traumatic stress disorder
lice, sparking off violent exchanges he would be accosted by po- (PTSD), an anxiety disorder which
of petrol bombs and tear gas. lice. The paranoid thoughts develops after experiencing an ex-
Volunteer first aider, Sam, who still keep clouding his mind. ceptionally threatening or a cata-
declines to reveal his full name, was “Every time I take a mini- strophic event, such as getting
one of those barricaded inside the bus to Mongkok, passing by into a serious accident, witness-
PolyU during the confrontations. Block Z of the campus, my hands ing violent deaths of others, or
Trapped at the campus, the and body shake involuntar- being a victim of a violent crime.
20-year-old says what he wit- ily. I try to avoid talking about
nessed and experienced there was the PolyU incident. But whenever
just traumatic. “The police locked
down the campus, manning eve- ‘‘
ry exit, and leaving many young
protesters on the brink of mental Sometimes tears just keep streaming
breakdown. You just never know down my cheeks uncontrollably
when the police would stage a raid.

’’