27 September 2014 Last updated at 16:22 ET
Protesters gather during a demonstration outside headquarters of the Legislative Counsel on 28 September 2014 in Hong Kong.
Protesters are angry at what they see as China’s refusal to give Hong Kong full democracy
The leader of Hong Kong’s Occupy Central pro-democracy movement has announced the launch of a mass disobedience campaign.
Benny Tai addressed thousands who had gathered outside government headquarters in central Hong Kong.
It comes a day after the arrests of more than 60 protesters who had entered a restricted area on the same site.
Students and activists oppose Beijing’s decision to rule out fully democratic elections in Hong Kong in 2017.
Mr Tai, a co-founder of the Occupy Central movement, announced the launch of a campaign to blockade the heart of Hong Kong’s financial centre, in a surprise announcement on Saturday.
The launch was originally due to be announced at the start of next month.
Eye protection
Saturday’s demonstrations were joined not just by students, but by many others, BBC Hong Kong correspondent Juliana Liu reports.
The numbers swelled from the hundreds to the thousands, with police closing roads surrounding the area and urging demonstrators, especially minors, to go home, she adds.
Many of the protesters came dressed in ponchos and eye protection in case police use pepper spray to disperse the crowds, as they did on Friday night.
Protesters came better prepared on Saturday against the effects of possible pepper use by police
The protests drew a crowd of both young and old
Nearly 30 people were hurt in Friday’s scuffles at the popular protest spot at government headquarters, to which access has been restricted since July.
Occupy Central says pepper spray was used without warning, and has condemned the use of “unnecessary force” against “peaceful protesters”.
Police said they made 61 arrests on Friday, including prominent student activist leader, Joshua Wong.
