MOSCOW, October 13 (RIA Novosti) - The Hong Kong police have started removing the barricades, set up previously by the Occupy Central protesters, speaking out against the Chinese government's plans to control the 2017 Hong Kong election, The New York Times has reported.
The police officers, however, left barricades standing on the other end of the Queensway. The protesters started assembling at the other end of Queensway showing that they would resist the police's effort to remove the barricade on both ends of the road.
The Occupy Central with Love and Peace protests began on September 27. Protesters claim Beijing has gone back on its pledge to allow universal suffrage in Hong Kong, which was promised a high degree of autonomy when it was handed back to China by Britain in 1997.
On October 3, the peaceful demonstrations turned violent when opponents of the protests started assaulting the crowd. More than 50 people were injured, according to local health officials. At least 19 people have been arrested following the clashes.
On the night of October 4, thousands of people took to the streets after the city administration issued an ultimatum to clear out before October 6.
On October 12, Hong Kong's chief executive Leung Chun-ying said in an interview with a local TV channel that the protesters had an "almost zero chance" of success in securing free elections.
