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| Hong Kong protests: Tension mounts at office stand-off | Hong Kong protests: Tension mounts at office stand-off |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Tension is growing at the Hong Kong government office in the Central district, with reports of protesters scuffling with police who are stockpiling riot gear. | Tension is growing at the Hong Kong government office in the Central district, with reports of protesters scuffling with police who are stockpiling riot gear. |
| Students have massed outside the office demanding that Chief Executive CY Leung resign by midnight. | Students have massed outside the office demanding that Chief Executive CY Leung resign by midnight. |
| They say they will occupy government buildings if he does not comply. | They say they will occupy government buildings if he does not comply. |
| Protesters are angry at China's plan to vet candidates for polls in 2017, saying they want full democracy. | Protesters are angry at China's plan to vet candidates for polls in 2017, saying they want full democracy. |
| At the scene: Juliana Liu, BBC News | |
| Warnings from police and government officials in Hong Kong against continuing the protests have not succeeded. | |
| A steady stream of demonstrators wearing yellow ribbons have been arriving at the main demonstration site, although overall numbers appear to have fallen since earlier in the week. The organisers have said it was due to exhaustion, as the protest completes its fifth day. | |
| Tension, though, was growing as crowds moved away from Connaught Road to an area outside the chief executive's office. That was where police officers were earlier photographed bringing in what appeared to be rubber bullets and other riot gear. | |
| Demonstrators debated how much force the officers might use against young student activists who had threatened to occupy government buildings. | |
| With a deadline of midnight for the chief executive to resign, the crowds are likely to swell as demonstrators wait to see if student leaders carry out their promise to escalate their civil disobedience campaign. | |
| The main protest sites at Central, Causeway Bay, Mong Kok and Canton Road have remained peaceful. | The main protest sites at Central, Causeway Bay, Mong Kok and Canton Road have remained peaceful. |
| But police and government have reiterated their call for protesters to disperse, and the police have warned they will not stand by if protesters breach the government office compound near Tamar Park. | But police and government have reiterated their call for protesters to disperse, and the police have warned they will not stand by if protesters breach the government office compound near Tamar Park. |
| The BBC's Babita Sharma says a few hundred people have gathered outside. The crowd began building yesterday after student leaders issued their ultimatum. | The BBC's Babita Sharma says a few hundred people have gathered outside. The crowd began building yesterday after student leaders issued their ultimatum. |
| Police set up a cordon, and the South China Morning Post is reporting confrontations between the police and protesters. | Police set up a cordon, and the South China Morning Post is reporting confrontations between the police and protesters. |
| By Thursday evening local time, police officers were seen carrying in riot gear and supplies. | By Thursday evening local time, police officers were seen carrying in riot gear and supplies. |
| Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao was told by police that they were stocking rubber bullets, tear gas, and other weapons at the site. | Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao was told by police that they were stocking rubber bullets, tear gas, and other weapons at the site. |
| An unnamed official told the paper that if protesters breached the cordon set up by the police, they "will definitely use these weapons to deal with protesters". | An unnamed official told the paper that if protesters breached the cordon set up by the police, they "will definitely use these weapons to deal with protesters". |
| The police and Hong Kong government have been criticised for using tear gas to disperse protesters over last weekend. | The police and Hong Kong government have been criticised for using tear gas to disperse protesters over last weekend. |
| 'Appropriate force' | 'Appropriate force' |
| Earlier on Thursday, police spokesman Steve Hui told reporters that if protesters surrounded and occupied Mr Leung's office, this would cause public safety problems. | Earlier on Thursday, police spokesman Steve Hui told reporters that if protesters surrounded and occupied Mr Leung's office, this would cause public safety problems. |
| "The police will not stand by and watch. We will decisively uphold the law," he said. | "The police will not stand by and watch. We will decisively uphold the law," he said. |
| When asked if tear gas would be used, Mr Hui said the police would monitor the situation and would use "appropriate force if necessary". | When asked if tear gas would be used, Mr Hui said the police would monitor the situation and would use "appropriate force if necessary". |
| The Hong Kong government said in a separate statement that the protesters were conducting a "siege" and, if it continued, government and police operations would "be seriously affected". | The Hong Kong government said in a separate statement that the protesters were conducting a "siege" and, if it continued, government and police operations would "be seriously affected". |
| "This will eventually affect social order and the provision of government services to the public and society," it said, adding that 3,000 government officials were due to return to work on Friday. | "This will eventually affect social order and the provision of government services to the public and society," it said, adding that 3,000 government officials were due to return to work on Friday. |
| 'Disrespecting the law' | 'Disrespecting the law' |
| Meanwhile China's state media have strongly backed Hong Kong's chief executive, praising his performance while condemning protests as "chaos". | Meanwhile China's state media have strongly backed Hong Kong's chief executive, praising his performance while condemning protests as "chaos". |
| The Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper, People's Daily, praised Mr Leung's handling of the situation in a front-page editorial on Thursday. | The Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper, People's Daily, praised Mr Leung's handling of the situation in a front-page editorial on Thursday. |
| "The central government is full of confidence in Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, and is completely satisfied with his performance," it said. | "The central government is full of confidence in Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, and is completely satisfied with his performance," it said. |
| Beijing "will thus continue to strongly support Mr Leung's leadership of Hong Kong's legal administration as well as the police's handling of illegal activities", it added. | Beijing "will thus continue to strongly support Mr Leung's leadership of Hong Kong's legal administration as well as the police's handling of illegal activities", it added. |
| People's Daily also carried on its website a comment piece from another newspaper which stated: "Hong Kong has for many years enjoyed peace and harmony. | People's Daily also carried on its website a comment piece from another newspaper which stated: "Hong Kong has for many years enjoyed peace and harmony. |
| "It now sees the emergence of this embarrassing chaos, and the root cause lies with a few people who are disrespecting the law. | "It now sees the emergence of this embarrassing chaos, and the root cause lies with a few people who are disrespecting the law. |
| "Chaos denies Hong Kong residents their prosperity, goes against their wishes, and is not what all Chinese people wish to see or what we can tolerate." | "Chaos denies Hong Kong residents their prosperity, goes against their wishes, and is not what all Chinese people wish to see or what we can tolerate." |
| China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has also criticised the protests as "illegal" and warned other countries to stay out of the issue. | China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has also criticised the protests as "illegal" and warned other countries to stay out of the issue. |
| Speaking in Washington on Wednesday, he said the protests were an "internal affair" for China. | Speaking in Washington on Wednesday, he said the protests were an "internal affair" for China. |
| In other developments: | In other developments: |
| Hong Kong democracy timeline | Hong Kong democracy timeline |
| Q&A: Hong Kong's democracy controversy | Q&A: Hong Kong's democracy controversy |
| Are you affected by the protests? Get in contact by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you affected by the protests? Get in contact by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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