Mediaboss Marketing

Opponents of Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement stepped up their pressure Monday, scuffling with demonstrators and attempting to clear barricades near one of the main sit-in sites.

Hundreds of counter-demonstrators, including masked men, confronted pro-democracy protesters behind roadblocks on Queensway, a major traffic artery next to the sit-in site in the Admiralty area, which has been shut down for more than two weeks.

Dozens of taxi drivers joined the clash, honking their horns and demanding the occupiers open the road to traffic.

Police scrambled to separate the two groups. The counter-demonstrators urged the police to clear the barriers, chanting, Open the roads.

As police arrived in greater force, the masked men left the scene. Protesters suspect the group were triads organized gang members who police have said have been active at the citys other major protest site, Mong Kok.

At the same time, a truck with a mounted crane scooped up metal barriers and tents set up by demonstrators farther up Queensway.

It was unclear who was operating the truck. Associations of truck drivers said last week that they would clear barricades by Wednesday.

By late afternoon, students had reclaimed the road and began rebuilding barricades with steel railings, wooden planks and bamboo scaffolding.

Thousands of protesters remained at the Admiralty sit-in Monday night, many in brightly colored tents.

The clashes took place hours after police removed barricades blocking a key highway in Central, the financial district, in the early morning. Attempts to do the same in Mong Kok were met with stiffer resistance from the protesters, who were able to preserve some of their barricades.

See the article here:
In Hong Kong, opponents scuffle with pro-democracy protesters