Riot police pull out but Occupy Central protesters in Hong Kong are unmoved
Demonstrations continue with streets from Central to Mong Kok occupied as government changes tack following Sunday’s chaotic scenes
The government's decision to withdraw riot police from the streets helped lower tensions but tens of thousands of Occupy Central supporters continued their protest against Beijing's decision to set strict limits on Hong Kong's electoral process.
Sit-ins being staged in Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok took on a sometimes festive atmosphere, with three Britons even grilling sausages to boost the morale of protesters.
Smaller groups of protesters occupied parts of Yau Ma Tei and the area outside World Wide House in Des Voeux Road Central as well as outside police headquarters in Arsenal Street.
Many took a day off work or school yesterday to join the protest, after watching on television how riot police fired 87 canisters of tear gas and used pepper spray and batons against protesters the previous night. Police said 41 people had been injured over the past three days.
Business and financial markets were impacted on the first working day of the civil disobedience movement, with the benchmark Hang Seng Index falling the most in seven months. It dropped up to 2.46 per cent in the morning session, the biggest intraday loss since February 4, before ending the day down 1.94 per cent.