Protesters clash with police at Hong Kong legislature

Clashes have taken place between Hong Kong police and a small group of protesters who tried to break into parliament early on Wednesday, the BBC reported.

Protesters used metal barricades to break down a side door at the Legislative Council building (Legco).

The incident happened hours after bailiffs and police peacefully cleared a section of the main protest camp.

Protesters calling for full democracy have occupied three key sites in Hong Kong for nearly eight weeks.

The BBC's John Sudworth in Hong Kong said that this latest incident was a reminder that the overwhelmingly peaceful protests can still turn ugly.

Dozens of young protesters, some wearing masks, tried smashing in the door shortly after 01:00. Some reportedly managed to enter the building.

Riot police warned protesters to stay back, using red flags, and later used pepper spray to push them back.

There were repeated attempts by protesters to enter the building throughout the night, but they appeared to retreat by daylight.

Democratic lawmaker Fernando Cheung, who was among a group of people who tried to stop the protesters, told Reuters that it was "a very, very isolated incident" as the movement had been peaceful so far.

Student leader Lester Shum, from the Hong Kong Federation of Students, told AFP: "It's not something we like to see... We call on occupiers to stick firm to peaceful and non-violent principles and be a responsible participant of the umbrella movement."

The police said they arrested four people, while three officers were injured.