The Hong Kong police used a water cannon against a few hundred protesters who gathered in front of the cordoned off headquarters of the Hong Kong government on Saturday evening, as activists mark the fifth anniversary of the Umbrella Revolution.
Connaught Road Central next to the government office has been shut down, as more and more protesters gathered near the building's front entrance.
The crowd chanted "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times," while demanding universal suffrage and an independent investigation into alleged police brutality.
A small group of radical protesters moved roadblocks closer toward the entrance of the building. Protesters, most dressed in black attires, also used green laser beams to harass the police officers stationed behind the plastic fences set up in front of the government building.
First, the police did not react but then deployed a powerful water cannon to disperse the crowd.
The crowd holding umbrellas pulled back but did not disperse. Protesters held up umbrellas, in anticipation of the police using force to move them away.
Some protesters brought what looked to be metal rots to the area.
Back in September 2014, activists, some of whom were armed with umbrellas, staged a series of sit-ins to protest the local election reform and demand universal suffrage. The demonstrations lasted until mid-December.
The mass protests in Hong Kong erupted in early June as a reaction to proposed amendments to the city's extradition laws. In early September, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced her decision to formally withdraw the controversial extradition bill.
However, protesters said that they would continue rallying until she met their remaining demands, which include ending legal procedures against fellow demonstrators and launching an investigation into police violence.
