Hong Kong site cleared

Police and bailiffs in Hong Kong began clearing barricades onTuesday that had been set up by protesters at their Mong Kok camp in a popular shopping district.

A week ago, police peacefully removed barricades at a similar camp in the Admiralty district.

Despite the fact that police were not being met with active resistance at the Mong Kok camp, many protesters were staying put in the camp and were outfitted with helmets, goggles, and gas masks. Many reacted defiantly when they were told to leave the area.

"We want real universal suffrage!" many shouted while raising a large sign with the same slogan.

Clearing the camps followed court orders giving police permission to clear the camps.

Getting back to normal?

Mass sit-ins have blocked the city's main thoroughfares for seven weeks and private transport companies are also pursuing court orders, saying that the disruptions caused to traffic have been bad for business.

On September 28, the pro-democracy group Occupy Central began to carry out its long-standing threat to lock down key parts of the financial hub, riding on the back of previous student-led rallies.

The group demands the resignation of Hong Kong city leader Leung Chun-ying and for free leadership elections to be held in the city in 2017. China's National People's Congress decided in August that any candidates would have to be vetted by Beijing before appearing on the ballot.

The demonstrations have continued since September and been largely peaceful, but have caused major disruptions in the city. In mid-October, violence broke out following the surfacing of a video which showed plainclothes police officers beating a handcuffed protester as he lay on the ground.

Future uncertain

In mid-October, the Hong Kong government agreed to a fresh round of talks with leaders of the student protest movement. Hopes were, however, low from the outset, as Beijing had been clear in its stance that it had already offered enough concessions to the former British colony in the past and that it would not change its position. In the end, the talks did not get the protesters what they wanted.

China took back Hong Kong from Britain in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" agreement that accorded the city a high degree of autonomy. Both China and the Hong Kong government have declared the protests to be illegal.

At their height, the demonstrations drew well over 100,000 people, but the number has since sunk to just hundreds. Public support has also waned, with many people expressing a desire for life to return to normal in Hong Kong.

mz/ksb (AP, AFP, dpa)