Hong Kong protesters resort to medieval weapons

HONG KONG — Protesters, including student, who barricaded themselves inside Hong Kong’s universities have tried to turn the campuses into armed camps, resorting to medieval weapons to stop police from entering the grounds.

Their weapons include bows and arrows, catapults and hundreds of gasoline bombs stacked up to ramparts — often built by the students.

The police described many of the devices as lethal weapons and warned protesters they will be prosecuted if they are caught using them.

Protesters said they need the weapons to protect the campuses from police using tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons.

Now in their sixth month, the anti-government protests have grown increasingly violent even as they have shrunk in size, often causing chaos in the streets of the city of 7.5 million people.