Occupy's over-the-top demands and lack of leadership mean deadlock in negotiations: Legco chief

Over-the-top demands by Occupy Central and a lack of clear leadership over the protesters mean attempts to reach a settlement are deadlocked, the legislature's president says.

But the police's confrontational approach to dispersing protesters in Admiralty and Central at the weekend using a combination of tear gas, pepper spray and batons, was also to blame, Legislative Council President Jasper Tsang Yok-sing said.

"Some people might prefer adopting a high-handed approach to quelling protests," he said yesterday. "That proved not to work on Sunday. Should [police] fire bullets? It would only irritate more people."

Tsang was speaking to the media for the first time since police fired volleys of tear gas at protesters on Sunday. He declined to say if the police had used excessive force, as he was required to reserve his opinions ahead of a possible Legco debate on the issue. But he called for restraint from the administration, and held out hope the protests and public anger would recede as the Occupy action dragged on.

The civil disobedience movement has laid down its core demands for ending the operation - the resignation of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and Beijing's retraction of its restrictive framework for electoral reform.

Tsang said there was "almost no chance" of Beijing accepting these demands. He also noted Occupy co-founder Dr Chan Kin-man's admission that the crowds, now spread across three parts of the city, were not under their control. "Even if you [the government] want to talk, who should you talk to?" Tsang asked.