China has issued a veiled warning to other countries not to support pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, as tens of thousands of demonstrators ignore appeals to leave, the BBC reports.
Pro-democracy protesters are blocking Hong Kong's streets, shutting down its business district. The demonstrations have spread to other areas including a shopping district and a residential area.
This is what the protests in Hong Kong look like right now. pic.twitter.com/fugmJGZuYT
— Learn Something (@Iearnsomething) September 29, 2014
Riot police withdrew on Monday after overnight clashes in which they used batons and fired volleys of tear gas to try to disperse the crowds.
Beijing has said it will not tolerate external support for what it calls illegal movements.
What you should know about the protests in Hong Kong http://t.co/S3qV3zMTg3 pic.twitter.com/fljqpUNIeD
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 29, 2014
The mostly student protesters are demanding full democracy and have called on the city's leader Leung Chun-ying to step down.
Angry at Beijing's plans to vet candidates for Hong Kong's 2017 leadership elections, they have called for a free choice of candidates when they cast their ballots for the chief executive - something Beijing says is out of the question.
