CY Leung, Hong Kong’s chief executive, said the democracy protests sweeping the territory would last “quite a long period” as protesters prepare for the October 1 National Day holiday which is expected to bring massive crowds on to the streets.
Thousands of protesters camped outside government headquarters in Admiralty on Monday night, calling for the resignation of Mr Leung who is considered pro-Beijing.
Earlier on Monday, huge numbers of people poured into the area to join protesters calling on Beijing to reverse course on a controversial electoral reform plan. China last month agreed to introduce universal suffrage for the chief executive election, including restrictions that make it impossible for critics of Beijing to run.