Update | Police fire tear gas and baton charge thousands of Occupy Central protesters
Union leaders call for strikes as police defend hard-line response and Benny Tai admits protest movement's leaders are not in control
The streets of Central and Admiralty descended into chaos last night after police in riot gear fired tear gas at protesters as the Occupy Central campaign, a movement that promised "peace and love", escalated.
By midnight there was little sign of the mass protest ending. Thousands of protesters, despite police use of pepper spray, batons and tear gas, occupied the main roads outside the government headquarters complex in Admiralty. Many joined in after hearing of the confrontation from the media, and a smaller blockade began late last night in Causeway Bay, while hundreds occupied a section of Nathan Road in Mong Kok.
SCMP.com's live coverage of the Occupy Central protest
But Occupy co-organiser Dr Chan Kin-man urged the protesters to retreat. "It is a matter of life and death … Retreating does not mean giving up … Occupy Central has succeeded as long as the spirit of democracy never dies."
He said it was time to plan the next step of the campaign.
Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, who supports the Occupy Central campaign, said: "We do not want to see anyone get hurt."