"They didn't give us enough time to retreat. It could have caused a stampede."

The clearance was in stark contrast to Argyle Street a day before, when protesters were given time to negotiate with bailiffs and legal representatives from the Chiu Luen Lightbus Company before the matter went to police.

Yesterday police stepped in almost immediately after a failed attempt by protest leaders to stop people wearing red hats and "I Love Hong Kong" T-shirts from clearing the barricades.

"All those that needed to be arrested had been arrested the night before," said a police source close to the matter when asked how the entire road could be cleared in several hours.

It started at about 10am when Scholarism's Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Hong Kong Federation of Students' Lester Shum and Raphael Wong Ho-ming, from the League of Social Democrats, questioned the identities of the group, who were said to be authorised helpers.

Watch: Hong Kong police clear Occupy site in Mong Kok, arrest leaders

Among them were familiar faces from the two taxi groups, the Taxi Association and Taxi Drivers and Operators Association, and anti-occupy supporters seen from previous clashes.

Efforts by protesters to force the group to declare their identities descended into chaos.

A police special squad in helmets soon stormed the scene, sealing the area off Wai Fung Centre and arresting the two student leaders as well as Raphael Wong. The squad then pushed protesters along Nathan Road in the direction of Tsim Sha Tsui, using cutters and bare hands to dismantle tents.

All that was left of the makeshift Guan Yu temple during the action was the altar, while the "church" was dismantled. Books and couches in the abandoned community "library" were removed. As the police pushed forward, some protesters in helmets, goggles and masks held makeshift wooden shields in anticipation of a baton charge. The retreating bunch - some holding hands - appealed to the squad to advance slower, only to find their request went largely unheard.

"Police kept pushing us back, shouting at us and threatening us with arrest. It was obvious they were using scare tactics," said Ah Sum.

It took roughly an hour for police to push protesters to the zebra-crossing near Dundas Street, the borderline the injunction covered.

They were dispersed about 90 minutes later.

The clearance on Tuesday lasted almost all day, as police faced an immense challenge to disperse a crowd that formed in Portland Street after the clearance in Argyle Street.

A number of clashes continued into the night and the early hours of yesterday.

Chief Superintendent Steve Hui Chun-tak said police officers encountered "strong resistance" when they were assisting the bailiffs in dispersing the crowd on Tuesday.

There were 14 clash points between the protesters and police around Poland Street, Nathan Road and Argyle Street throughout the night since 4pm on the day, during which many protesters attempted to obstruct the roads.

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On Tuesday night there were frequent scuffles at the junction of Shantung Street and Nathan Road. Police baton-charged the crowd and pepper-sprayed protesters after they tried to break through a police cordon there. Protesters, geared up with helmets and protective goggles, also set up new barricades.

The nightly confrontation ended after a last stand-off at the intersection of Nathan Road and Shantung Street at around 3.15am yesterday.