Police Removes Protester's Barricade

Hon kong police officers began taking away some of the metal barriers that have been erected by protesters on the edge of the city's financial district at around 5.30am local time.
Protesters have been occupying a busy main road and several surrounding streets for two weeks in a bid to force the government to drop plans to use what they see as a biased election committee.

They say the committee - which is screening those trying to be elected as the territory's first top leader in 2017 - is pro-Beijing. 

As police moved in before the morning rush hour got under way, several of the protesters stood by watching but did not do anything to prevent what was happening.

Police remove barricades at the main protest site in Admiralty in Hong Kong 

But elsewhere, in response to a call put out on social media, dozens of protesters locked arms and faced down officers at another part of the protest area. 

Police claimed they were not attempting to clear the entire area, merely removing the barricades to relieve congestion and reduce the risk of accidents. 

Authorities said they had also removed some barricades from another part of the protest site, across Victoria Harbour, in the Mong Kok shopping district.

Tens of thousands, many of whom are students, have taken to the streets to demand free elections, with many also calling for Hong Kong's Chief Executive, Leung Chun-ying, to resign.