Hong Kong: Tear gas and clashes at democracy protest

(BBC)Hong Kong police have used tear gas to disperse pro-democracy protesters outside the main government building, after a week of escalating tensions.Earlier, demonstrators trying to push through police barricades were repelled by pepper spray.The protesters want China to end restrictions on the election of the territory's next leader.

Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung has urged people to keep away from what he called an "illegal" demonstration.The protesters want the Chinese government to scrap rules that would allow it to vet the chief executive elected in 2017. They also want the resumption of public consultation on democratic reforms.

In his first public statement since the protests began, Mr Leung said the elections would go ahead as planned - but promised further consultations.He said he and his government had "been listening attentively to members of [the] public".

Mr Leung promised a further round of consultations but said "resolute" action would be taken against what he described as an illegal demonstration.Thousands joined a sit-in outside government headquarters this weekend, bolstering a week-old protest, which began as a strike by students calling for democratic reforms.On Saturday night, the leader of Occupy Central, another protest movement, brought forward a planned action to merge it with the sit-in by the students outside the central government building.