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| Hong Kong officials begin clearing Mong Kok pro-democracy site | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Authorities in Hong Kong have begun clearing a pro-democracy protest site in Mong Kok, after asking activists camping out there to leave. | |
| Bailiffs are enforcing a court order, following complaints by residents and businesses about the disruption. | |
| Protesters appeared to not be resisting the move, and some have already taken down their tents and barricades. | |
| The activists have been on the streets since early October, demanding a free choice of leader in the 2017 election. | The activists have been on the streets since early October, demanding a free choice of leader in the 2017 election. |
| China, however, says the pool of candidates that people in Hong Kong will vote on will be selected by a Beijing-backed committee. | |
| Tuesday's operation is focusing on the area around Nathan Road and Argyle Street, a busy commercial and tourist district. It is the site of previous violent clashes between community members, protesters and police. | |
| Workers in white hard hats and gloves were seen moving wooden pallets and other materials so that they could be taken away in lorries. | |
| Thousands of police are on standby, but the operation is being carried out by court bailiffs. | |
| Protesters originally numbered in the tens of thousands when the Hong Kong unrest first began in October, but have since fallen to a few hundred, while attempts by both sides to reach a compromise have gone nowhere. | |
| Hong Kong and the Beijing government say the protests are illegal, and there is growing public frustration with the disruption to traffic and business. | Hong Kong and the Beijing government say the protests are illegal, and there is growing public frustration with the disruption to traffic and business. |
| Last week there was little resistance from the protesters as bailiffs cleared barricades from the camp in Admiralty, near government headquarters. | Last week there was little resistance from the protesters as bailiffs cleared barricades from the camp in Admiralty, near government headquarters. |
| Most of the protesters told local media on Tuesday they would remain peaceful and not try to resist the move. | |
| "I'll stay until the last moment. When they ask me to go, then I'll leave," William Yu, 20, told South China Morning Post. | "I'll stay until the last moment. When they ask me to go, then I'll leave," William Yu, 20, told South China Morning Post. |
| Another protester, Ken Chu, told the paper he was prepared in case police or bailiffs used force. | Another protester, Ken Chu, told the paper he was prepared in case police or bailiffs used force. |
| Operations to clear and contain camps in recent weeks have sometimes led to clashes. | Operations to clear and contain camps in recent weeks have sometimes led to clashes. |
| An attempt by police to clear an underpass near Admiralty in October led to accusations that officers had used excessive violence, after a video emerged of officers apparently beating a protester. | An attempt by police to clear an underpass near Admiralty in October led to accusations that officers had used excessive violence, after a video emerged of officers apparently beating a protester. |
| Hong Kong democracy timeline | Hong Kong democracy timeline |
| Q&A: Hong Kong's democracy controversy | Q&A: Hong Kong's democracy controversy |