SHENZHEN, China (AP) — The mainland Chinese students arriving from Hong Kong are huddled with their suitcases, waiting for a bus to take them to temporary accommodation in this city across the border from the protest-wracked territory.

After anti-government demonstrators barricaded university campuses this week, hundreds of Chinese students have retreated to the mainland city of Shenzhen, where the ruling Communist Party’s Youth League promised them a “warm home.”

The party organization said in a notice this week that mainland students could stay free-of-charge at one of 12 designated youth hostels in the southern Chinese city less than 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the chaos.

Mainland students say they left because they feared being harassed by protesters.