A lull settled on the area as the president of the university said in a video message that that police have agreed to suspend their use of force.

Jin-Guang Teng said police would allow radiclas to leave and he would accompany them to the police station to ensure their cases would be processed fairly.

"I hope that you will accept the proposed temporary suspension of force and leave the campus in a peaceful manner," he said.

It seemed unlikely the radicals would accept the offer given that they would all likely be arrested.

On Sunday, radicals used bows and arrows, and one arrow struck a media liaison officer in the calf. Photos on the department's Facebook page show the arrow sticking out of the back of the officer's leg through his pants.

As riot police moved in from all sides, some radicals retreated inside the university. Others set fires on bridges leading to it.

A huge blaze burned along much of a long footbridge that connects a train station to the campus over the approach to the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, a major road under Hong Kong's harbor that has been blocked by radicals for days.

With inputs from agencies