The violence over the freedom of Hong Kong citizens is no longer limited to Hong Kong. Students numbering in the hundreds gathered on the campus of the University of Queensland, staging a sit-in to protest Hong Kong’s controversial extradition bill, that if passed, would permit Hong Kong to extradite criminals to mainland China, a country with significantly fewer freedoms for citizens, and serious human rights issues.

During the protest, pro-Beijing counter protesters arrived on the scene, and “They drove us to the lawn and surrounded us for half an hour,” says student Christy Leung. Shortly after, she says the counter protesters began attacking the pro-democracy students.

No arrests were made in the Australian protest, but the students feel the need to express their resolute support for the citizens of Hong Kong who continue to be beaten, bloodied, and arrested in the streets. As the pro-democracy marches shift from weeks-long to months, China merely adds fuel to the fire, jailing a human rights activist for allegedly leaking state secrets to the world.