Dozens arrested as Hong Kong democracy protests continue

Dozens of protesters were arrested by police in Hong Kong today after a night of clashes in the Mong Kok district of the city.

Police said 28 people, the youngest aged 16, were detained for offences including unlawful assembly and possession of offensive weapons.

The pro-democracy protesters, in their hundreds, had attempted to retake an area of Argyle Street which they had previously occupied for nine weeks. In the latest wave, they began to arrive in Mong Kok in the Kowloon district late on Friday night.

Police in riot gear urged them to disperse or face arrest. Running scuffles ensued with water bottles and eggs thrown at officers who responded with batons and pepper spray.

Injuries included head wounds, grazes and the effects of pepper spray.

Protesters chanted: "I want genuine universal suffrage", a reference to their demand for full democratic rights in Hong Kong.

Under Beijing rules, the people of Hong Kong can only vote for a political leader selected from candidates chosen by the Chinese central government in Beijing.

The protest movement is calling for the right to choose their own leader, or Chief Executive, in 2017 without any interference from Beijing.

The clashes come as authorities continue to struggle to find a solution to the impasse.

The city government has refused to meet protesters' demands, who have in turn refused to ease their movement of civil disobedience.

Although certain sections of the three main protest sites have been cleared through court orders, and without significant resistance, the main protest site in Admiralty on Hong Kong Island continues to be active.

Hundreds of tents cover the six-lane highway. Protesters, most of whom are students, have set up work stations and food kiosks.