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HONG KONG, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Thousands of democracy activists gathered in Hong Kong this weekend to protest the interference of the Chinese government in the city's elections. The protesters congregated just outside of the government headquarters in the city's center.

Some reports estimated that more than 50,000 people gathered for the evening rally. As the clock struck midnight in Hong Kong on Saturday night, tens of thousands were still packed in. At least 70 people were arrested by Hong Kong police, most of them young people -- high school and university students. As crowds continued to grow late in the evening, police reportedly began blocking additional protestors from joining the mass.

Democracy supporters in Hong Kong are upset over China's decision to augment the rules of Hong Kong's democratic elections -- stipulating that only candidates approved by the central government be allowed to appear on the ballot.

Most of those arrested on Saturday night were taken into custody for attempting to scale the fences that police had set up to block off access to Civic Plaza, the site of another protest held just days ago. But today, only emergency personnel were allowed into the cordoned-off plaza.

According to Los Angeles Times correspondent, Violet Law, some protestors could be heard chanting: "The students are innocent! The students are innocent! Officers, back off! Back off! Back off!"

Many of the students arrested were members of a high school activist club called Scholarism.

"Toward the end of our school boycott last night, we decided to seize the initiative and take back the plaza in order to escalate our action," 20-year-old Johnny Chung, a senior member of Scholarism, told Law in the wake of his arrest.

"The future of Hong Kong is ours," 16-year-old Phoebe Leung, another student protestor, told CNN. "I can't change Hong Kong, but if all of us are here ... we may change Hong Kong's future."

More protests are scheduled for later in the week.

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Hong Kong police arrested six pro-democracy protesters after clashes overnight outside the government headquarters in the center of the city that left at least one officer injured.

Five men and one woman between the ages of 16 and 29 were taken into custody on offences of forcible entry into government premises, disorderly conduct in a public place and assaulting officers, according to a government statement today. An officer sustained injuries to his right shoulder in the clashes, in which protesters charged a cordon, and police used pepper spray after warnings, the government said.

The violence marks an escalation in tensions as activists try to pressure mainland China to allow a more open election for Hong Kongs top official post in 2017. The rally that began yesterday was held by students who boycotted classes this week, and was one of a series of protests before a mass sit-in in the central business district thats planned for next week.

Hundreds of activists chanted reclaim civic square, reclaim the Hong Kong peoples future and release the students after chaotic scenes that saw some carried away for medical treatment. Anti-riot police with helmets and shields clashed with protesters defending themselves with umbrellas and warding off pepper spray by applying plastic wraps over their eyes

Hong Kong Cable TV said that seven people were injured, while a report this morning on Radio Television Hong Kong said at least 21 were hurt, including four police officers, 11 government headquarters employees and security guards.

China said last month candidates for the 2017 election must be vetted by a committee, angering activists who say the group is packed with business executives and lawmakers favoring Beijing. Thousands of students boycotted classes starting Sept. 22 to express their dissatisfaction.

About 150 protesters climbed over the fence surrounding the east-wing forecourt of the Hong Kong headquarters on Tim Mei Avenue, according to the government statement. About 100 people were still sitting in the forecourt at the time, according to the statement issued at 8:23 a.m.

Joshua Wong, founder of a student activist group Scholarism, was dragged away by police, television footage showed. RTHK earlier reported that 12 men and one woman had been arrested, including two under the age of 18.

Benny Tai and Chan Kin-man, two leaders of Hong Kongs Occupy Central with Love and Peace movement, came to show their support, RTHK reported. They plan to stay with the students at the risk of arrest, and their movement may have to prepare for the same degree of force used by the police overnight, Tai said in Cable TV footage.

A committee will meet to discuss whether to extend the class boycott, RTHK reported on its website, citing Tommy Cheung, president of the student union at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

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