Protesters shot arrows and lobbed petrol bombs at police on Sunday as fresh violence erupted around a besieged Hong Kong university campus, with activists braced for a possible final police push to clear them after fiery clashes overnight.

Police countered with dyed jets of liquid from water cannons after several protesters were seen firing bows from rooftops at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University amid some of the most dramatic scenes in over five months of protests.

A police media liaison officer was hit in the leg by an arrow, police said in a statement. He remained conscious and was sent to a hospital.