The casual chat room comment that sparked 45 arrests and allegations of police brutality

An effort by police to clear protesters' barricades near government offices, which mushroomed into a melee involving 45 arrests and cries of police brutality, started with a casual comment posted on the local online chat room Hong Kong Golden.

The line, inserted around noon, read: "Fight again on Lung Wo Road tonight". The writer signed off as Pei-Yi-Sau, but the person's real identity is not known.

Some protesters, unhappy with what they called "failed" strategies of the Federation of Students, tried to mobilise chat room members after police destroyed barricades on Queensway on Tuesday. They vowed to block Lung Wo Road, the main route to the chief executive's office in Admiralty.

Before 10pm on Tuesday, dozens of youths blocked the west-bound traffic of Lung Wo Road with barricades.

Some police officers arrived. Tensions flared after the officers tried to subdue and take away a young protester. After about an hour, the police, outnumbered by the crowd, retreated.