HONG KONG: Chaos erupted in central Hong Kong on Monday as dozens of masked men rushed barricades at the city’s main pro-democracy site triggering clashes with protesters, hours after police had moved in to remove some barriers.

Groups of men, many wearing surgical masks, descended on the front lines of the rally at Admiralty near Hong Kong’s central business district, while other angry anti-Occupy groups gathered demanding the demonstrators leave.

Protesters, who have come under attack from organised crime gangs known as triads at another flashpoint demonstration site in Mong Kok, shouted: “Weapons! Weapons!” and “Arrest the triads”.

Television footage showed one masked man being forced to drop a small flick knife while trucks with cranes moved in to remove barriers.

Taxi drivers also converged on the site with their cars demanding the barricades be removed and other anti-Occupy groups chanted “Occupy is illegal”.

The chaos broke out after around 100 opponents of the pro-democracy protests had gathered nearby.

Moments earlier Hong Kong’s embattled leader Leung Chun-ying had told reporters in the Chinese city of Guangzhou that he wanted the protests to end.

“Under the appropriate situation we hope to allow society to return to normal as quickly as possible,” he said on the sidelines of a trade meeting.

The demonstrators are calling for Beijing to grant full democracy to the former British colony and have brought parts of Hong Kong to a standstill over the last fortnight, prompting clashes with elements who oppose the blockades and widespread disruption.

Published in Dawn, October 14th , 2014