Last updated on: November 18, 2014 1:41 PM
BEIJING—Workers in Hong Kong Tuesday began clearing barricades in a small area of the downtown occupied by pro-democracy protesters.
The slow but calculated effort, backed by a court order, aims to erode the area held by the demonstrators without provoking more dissent. Protesters say the effort to clear the streets could take days.
In Hong Kong’s Central business district’s Admiralty area – 30 bailiffs, backed by police, cleared a small area of a protest site near local government offices.
The barricade removal came shortly after a court injunction against blocking traffic to Citic Tower, an office building. Protesters did not resist as workers succeeded in clearing a way to the building’s parking garage.
There is also a court injunction filed by a Hong Kong taxi association and bus company to clear part of Mong Kok, another protest area which has been the site of violent clashes for several weeks.
Workers, center, start clearing away barricades at an occupied area outside government headquarters in Hong Kong, Nov. 18, 2014.
“The people let the bailiffs move the barricades. There have been a lot of barricades taken away, but the protesters in their tents are staying. So that is what has happened up until now,” explained Pa Sha, who has been protesting in Central since the beginning of the demonstrations.
Law Yuk Kai, an observer from Hong Kong Human rights Watch, told VOA the overall situation was peaceful and smooth, and there was no confrontation.
“It is peaceful, but when explaining provisions of the injunction, bailiffs and protesters have different opinions,” said Law. “It depends on how you understand it.”
