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Joshua Wong, left, a protest leader, was arrested Wednesday; police try to clear streets in Mong Kok on Wednesday.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Hong Kong (CNN) -- Protesters and police again faced off in the Mong Kok district of Hong Kong on Wednesday evening, hours after authorities cleared barricades and tents from a demonstration camp and arrested key pro-democracy activists.

As of mid-afternoon, a road which had been occupied to varying extents since pro-democracy protests erupted nearly two months ago was reopened to traffic.

But as day turned into evening -- and many Hong Kong residents left work -- the bustling commercial district once again filled with thousands of people, some of them protesters and others onlookers watching to see events unfold.

A CNN team in one area of Mong Kok saw police lead away protesters who had been tryng to reclaim the recently cleared protest site.

Some activists yelled "We want to take back the streets!" as they faced off with police and sought to stir up the crowds.

Meanwhile, large numbers of police officers tried to keep the throngs of people on the sidewalk, in what promised to be a difficult task as the night wore on.

As the atmosphere heated up, Hong Kong Chief Executive C.Y. Leung called on pro-democracy demonstrators not to reoccupy protest sites, according to public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong.

Leung urged protesters not to break the law again, adding that commercial activities in those areas had only just begun to resume, RTHK said.

Excerpt from:
HK protest leaders held as site cleared