Pro-democracy protesters continued to flood the streets of Hong Kong over the weekend, even after efforts from Chinese police to quell what the government labeled "illegal rallies," the BBC reported.
Armed with batons and tear gas, police took to the streets on Sunday to break up the thousands of demonstrators that crowded the streets in support of free elections without influence from China, which decided in late August to only allow candidates pre-approved by the government for the region's 2017 elections.
More than 100 were arrested and more than 40 were injured during the weekend riots, but authorities were unable to disperse the protesters, comprised of students and supporters of the pro-democracy group Occupy Central, the BBC reported.
"Police don't have enough officers to close down the districts where there are protests," Ivan Yeung told Agence France-Press.
Some 3,000 protesters on the Kowloon peninsula set up a block across a major road in Mongkok. Another 1,000 clashed with authorities at the Causeway Bay shopping district, located east of central Hong Kong, the BBC reported.
Hong Kong's government discouraged the rioting and pleaded with demonstrators to go home. But supporters swelled in numbers as they grew more defiant against law enforcement.
"As long as there's one person that's still out there on this highway, I'm going to be here," a demonstrator named Nikki told CNN near the government's headquarters.
China guaranteed Hong Kong more autonomy, except for matters of foreign affairs and defense, ever since the British government returned the former colony in 1997. So far it appears Chinese state-run media has turned a blind eye to the mass protests, giving little coverage to the demonstrations.
Hong Kong elections for chief executive are slated for 2017. The British government said it was important for residents in the region to exercise their fundamental right to protest.
"It is important for Hong Kong to preserve these rights and for Hong Kong people to exercise them within the law," a U.K. Foreign Office spokesman told CNN. "These freedoms are best guaranteed by the transition to universal suffrage."
