(CNN)Protests are raging across Hong Kong on Monday, with chaos and tear gas on the streets after a police officer shot a protester with a live round earlier in the morning.
Protesters began disrupting transit as early as 7 a.m. local time as part of a day-long general strike, and clashed with police in several locations. In Sai Wan Ho, on eastern Hong Kong Island, a traffic police officer shot a 21-year-old protester in the torso.
The protester is now in critical condition at the hospital. The shooting sparked public outrage, escalating what had already looked to be a long day of demonstrations.
People react after tear gas was fired by police during a protest in Hong Kong on November 11, 2019.
Office workers in the city's Central financial district have been sent home as riot police fired tear gas to disperse protesters. Video footage from the ground shows people rushing into a subway station to escape the gas, and a massive crowd chanting "murder" as they march past luxury fashion shops.
Protesters are also building barricades and disrupting transit in several locations, including the crucial cross-harbor tunnel that connects Hong Kong Island with Kowloon. Police said demonstrators have blocked roads in Sha Tin, Tseung Kwan O, Tuen Mun, and Hung Hom districts.
Several subway lines experienced minor to severe delays, with some stations closed and routes partially suspended "due to an escalation of the situation in stations," according to the MTR subway operator.
In a statement, police said they were continuing to clear barricades and disperse the protesters.
At least five universities have closed and canceled classes on Monday.
Protester shot
In a video clip of the shooting shared online, the traffic officer can be seen grappling with a protester. A second protester, dressed in black and wearing a face mask, approaches the scuffle, and the officer raises his gun.
The second protester appears to try and wave or slap the gun away, and the officer shoots him at close range, to screams from the surrounding crowd of protesters and passersby.
Several more protesters then grapple with the officer, and two more live rounds are fired off-camera.
The injured protester is undergoing operation at a hospital and remains in a critical condition, according to the Hong Kong Hospital Authority.
Police officers have since cordoned off the area where the protester was shot.
In a statement, police confirmed that the officer had "discharged his service revolver," and that officers in two other locations also drew their guns as they tried to disperse protesters.
The statement also responded to "online rumors" of reckless firearm use, calling the accusations "totally false and malicious."
"Police (have) strict guidelines and orders regarding the use of firearms," the statement said. "All police officers are required to justify their enforcement actions."
Police officers in Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong, where a protester was shot on November 11, 2019.
Five months of protests
The anti-government protests, which began in June in opposition to a now-withdrawn extradition bill, have dragged on for five months. The bill's withdrawal satisfied just one of the protesters' five major demands, which include an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality and wider democratic reforms.
The nonstop protests have also sent retail and tourism numbers plunging, and the semi-autonomous city fell into recession in October. Travel is dropping as demonstrations escalate in violence, and there is increasing public hostility toward the city government and police force.
This isn't the first time a protester has been shot -- police first used lethal force in October by firing a live shot and injuring an 18-year-old man.
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But things kicked up a notch on the weekend, with raging protests fueled by anger over the death of a 22-year-old student.
Chow Tsz-lok, a computer sciences student at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), died on Friday morning, days after falling and suffering a severe head injury in a parking garage close to the scene of protests.
Chow had been in a coma and on life support until Friday. There is no indication that Chow was involved in the nearby protest the night of his injury.
Protesters and fellow students mourned his death throughout the weekend, with a vigil on Friday night and a memorial on Sunday. HKUST students left flowers and messages on Post-it notes on campus, and vigil attendees laid flowers and lit candles.
Chow's death also prompted an outpouring of anger from anti-government protesters, who claim that police actions on the night of the accident resulted in paramedics being temporarily unable to access him.
This anger spilled out during the weekend protests, with protesters on the streets shouting for "revenge."
Police expressed "profound sadness" over Chow's death, but have strenuously denied responsibility and maintained that at no point did officers obstruct ambulance or fire services from assisting him. A police statement released on November 5 described the allegations as "certainly false."
According to police, ambulance crews arrived at the scene on November 4 approximately 19 minutes after being called. Hong Kong's ambulances pledge to arrive at the scene of the incident within 12 minutes of a call.
