(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Police repeatedly fired tear gas after tens of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators brought parts of central Hong Kong to a standstill yesterday, a dramatic escalation of protests that have gripped the city for days.
There were chaotic scenes, with protesters screaming "Shame!" at police as they tried to shield themselves from the clouds of gas, said reporters on the scene.
The tear gas volleys incensed the predominantly youthful crowds demonstrating against Beijing's refusal to grant full democracy to the semi-autonomous city, as a tense week of largely contained student-led demonstrations exploded into mass angry street protests.
Several scuffles broke out between police in helmets, gas masks and riot gear and demonstrators angered by the tear gas, which was last used in Hong Kong in 2005. "We are unarmed, just standing here, there was no warning for the gas," Harry Hung said.
As the night wore on protesters were locked in a tense standoffs with police, some of whom had batons drawn and rubber bullet rifles slung over their shoulders.
"This is unbelievable. This is a peaceful protest and the police are the ones using violence," said demonstrator Jade Wong. "The level of police violence here is just like mainland China, it was never like this before."
Renewed rounds of tear gas were fired shortly before 10pm (1400 GMT) forcing demonstrators to run from the choking clouds, a reporter saw.
But it did little to stem the tide of demonstrators occupying more than 800 metres of a vital multi-lane highway usually filled with whizzing vehicles.
Officers had earlier used hand-held pepper spray on demonstrators who had spilt onto the highway after breaking through barricades set up to stop people joining the crowds camped outside Hong Kong's government headquarters since Friday.
Traffic ground to a halt, with crowded commuter busses abandoned on the spot as demonstrators cheered and embraced each other in the middle of the road.
China, which stations a military garrison in Hong Kong, said it was confident the city's administration could handle the protest.
Beijing "firmly opposes all illegal activities that could undermine rule of law and jeopardise 'social tranquility' and it offers its strong backing" to the Hong Kong government, a spokesman for China's Hong Kong and Macau affairs office was quoted by the Xinhua news agency as saying.
Last month Beijing said that it would allow elections for Hong Kong's leader in 2017, but would insist on vetting the candidates - something demonstrators have decried as "fake democracy".
Students have boycotted classes in the past week, with protesters also mobbing the city leader's residence and storming into the complex housing government headquarters.
Prominent pro-democracy group Occupy Central threw its weight behind the protests on Sunday, saying they were bringing forward a mass civil disobedience campaign that had been due to start on October 1. "Occupy Central starts now," co-founder Benny Tai told the crowds outside government headquarters.
The group had sparked months of heated debate in the city of seven million over its plan to bring Hong Kong's financial district to a standstill with a mass sit-in. On Sunday they appeared to have come close to reaching that goal.
Hong Kong's leader, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, told a press conference his administration was "resolute in opposing the unlawful occupation actions by Occupy Central". He said his government would hold more public consultations on the planned political changes-a move already scheduled before the protests.
Ryan Chung, a 19-year old student watching events unfold, said: "We have the right to stay here and to protest. The world needs to know what is happening in Hong Kong. They need to know we want democracy but don't have it."
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