Hong Kong officials begin clearing Mong Kok pro-democracy site

Authorities in Hong Kong have begun clearing a pro-democracy protest site in Mong Kok, after asking activists camping out there to leave, the BBC reported.

Bailiffs are enforcing a court order, following complaints by residents and businesses about the disruption.

Protesters appeared to not be resisting the move, and some have already taken down their tents and barricades.

The activists have been on the streets since early October, demanding a free choice of leader in the 2017 election.

China, however, says the pool of candidates that people in Hong Kong will vote on will be selected by a Beijing-backed committee.

Tuesday's operation is focusing on the area around Nathan Road and Argyle Street, a busy commercial and tourist district. It is the site of previous violent clashes between community members, protesters and police.

Workers in white hard hats and gloves were seen moving wooden pallets and other materials so that they could be taken away in lorries.

Thousands of police are on standby, but the operation is being carried out by court bailiffs.

Protesters originally numbered in the tens of thousands when the Hong Kong unrest first began in October, but have since fallen to a few hundred, while attempts by both sides to reach a compromise have gone nowhere.

Hong Kong and the Beijing government say the protests are illegal, and there is growing public frustration with the disruption to traffic and business.