Hong Kong protests: Dozens arrested as sites demolished

Police in Hong Kong say 116 protesters have been arrested during clashes since Tuesday, as operations to dismantle activist camps continue, the BBC reported.

The authorities, acting on court orders, are clearing part of the Mong Kok commercial district in Kowloon.

Overnight on Tuesday, protesters fought running battles on the streets around Nathan Road, with police using batons and pepper spray.

Police were seen detaining more people on Wednesday.

Yvonne Leung of the Hong Kong Federation of Students said leading student activists Lester Shum and Joshua Wong were among those arrested on Wednesday.

A total of 116 people have now been arrested since Tuesday, for offences including assaulting police, possessing offensive weapons and obstructing officers.

The clearance operation in Mong Kok continued early on Wednesday as bailiffs, backed by police, began removing barricades.

A court has given permission for the Argyle and Dundas Street areas to be cleared following an injunction by a taxi company that argued its business was being disrupted.

Tuesday's clearance was the result of an injunction by a bus company.

On Wednesday, workers in red baseball caps and T-shirts that read "I love HK" started dismantling wooden pallets and other materials after a warning was read out by the bailiffs.

Police officers wearing helmets are on the streets as well, tearing down tents and canopies. Other officers are standing by with backpack pepper sprayers, local media reported.

Anyone seen to be obstructing the process can be arrested for contempt of court, according to the injunction Hong Kong's South China Morning Post.