Police gave the estimate of crowd size at 27,000 at its peak. At 2.30pm on Sunday, a sizeable crowd gathered at Po Tsui Park in the eastern New Territories for a march to Velodrome Park, with attendance surging as the procession advanced. Meanwhile on Hong Kong Island, all eyes were on a 5pm rally in Belcher Bay Park and whether protesters would march to Beijing’s liaison office, which is nearby.

Water barricades were placed outside the liaison office, apparently to prevent protesters from storming in. More than 20 police officers stood watch.

Protesters’ demands remained largely the same, including the full withdrawal of the now-shelved extradition bill, and an inquiry into police handling of demonstrators.

Two hours after the Tseung Kwan O march started, a stream of protesters was still flowing from the starting point of Po Tsui Park to the finishing point of Velodrome Park.

Among the throng was Chan Kai-yiu, 50, who had come from Tsing Yi.

“The government has not responded to the public’s demands, and seems to not exist any more. Police are also becoming more violent,” he said. “Many people are coming out because they see there is unrighteousness here.”

Another protester, surnamed Shek, an artist in his 20s, was at the march with his mother.

“[Chief Executive] Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and [police chief] Stephen Lo Wai-chung have given public statements but they have not solved the problem at all,” he said.

“We need an effective dialogue between the government and protesters. At the moment they are doing nothing to solve this crisis.”

Some of the protesters, including Raymond Mok and Wingo Yeung, said they would join a citywide strike planned for the following day.

Mok, aged 35 and an IT professional, said: “Carrie Lam needs to face the citizens and respond to our five demands.”

Yeung, a 29-year-old social worker, planned to get back to her office in the morning and make placards with her colleagues before attending a strike rally in Admiralty in the afternoon.

Li Sik-kam, a 77-year-old man from Fanling, said protests would continue as long as the government failed to respond to public demands.

The elderly man, who has been to some of the previous protests, said it was not hard for him to complete the entire route. “I’ll take some breaks in between,” he said. “I’m fine if I have a cane with me.”

As protesters passed Tseung Kwan O Police Station, some hurled insults at officers inside, calling them “rubbish”. Water barricades had been set up to protect the compound, after attacks on stations in other districts.

At one point, several officers came out of the station with a police dog when a handful of protesters threw eggs at the building and quickly fled. This was before the second incident when hundreds gathered closer to 6pm to repeat the actions.

A protester had sprayed “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our time” on the station wall.

Tensions between the police and the public have flared since June after tear gas and rubber bullets were used on protesters to disperse them, though the force has insisted the crowds have also assaulted officers.

Residents turn on Hong Kong police for using tear gas as protests rage

Outside Po Lam MTR station, some protesters set up barricades but did not occupy the roads. There was a confrontation after several protesters chased down a man and surrounded him. They were upset after he stared at some of them who were removing roadside railings.

Most shops in the nearby Well On Shopping Arcade were closed. Some said they planned to close later in the afternoon while others expressed no intention to do so.

Over on Hong Kong Island, Holas Cheung, who owns a hair salon near the venue of a rally in Belcher Bay Park, was putting up posters of support for protesters. “My salon will be on strike tomorrow,” he said. “I’ve seen how much the youngsters on protest front lines have done. Now it’s my turn.”

The rally started at 5.30pm and speakers took turns sharing thoughts on the political crisis.

Addressing the crowd, high school student Zack Ho said: “I know many of you may feel disappointed now, but please don’t be desperate. I hope you can trust us, the young generation.”

George Chu, 40, an engineer who has been attending protests since June, said the most important was for Hong Kong to have universal suffrage. “At least then [the government] would be our own.”

Joyce Hui, 25, a clerk who is also a protest regular, said: “People have been saying the period before dawn is particularly dark – and the past two months have been the darkest ever. But I will keep going on regardless of how tired I am.”

Meanwhile in Central, dozens of friends and family members packed a room at the Cotton Tree Drive Marriage Registry, where Tong Wai-hung, 38, and Elaine To, 41, tied the knot.

Speaking before the wedding ceremony, Tong said he had planned for a private affair involving just seven people.

“I never thought we couldn’t get married – even if there was a nuclear explosion, I would still marry her,” Tong said. “We feel really touched.”

Hong Kong has been gripped by a spate of protests since June over the hated legislation which would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to jurisdictions with which the city has no extradition agreement, including mainland China, where critics say there is no guarantee of a fair trial.