HONG KONG UNREST: POLICE CLASHES WITH PROTESTERS

Police have been using pepper spray to push back the protesters

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.

A statement by the movement said Mr Leung had "failed to deliver on political reform".

The protesters had also called for further talks but it is not clear how far - if at all - Mr Leung's mention of further consultations will be seen as recognising their demands.

Occupy Central had originally planned to paralyse the central business district next Wednesday, but organisers advanced the protest and changed the location in an apparent bid to harness momentum from student protests outside the government complex.

Student activists had stormed into a courtyard of the complex late on Friday and scuffled with police using pepper spray.

Police said they made more than 60 arrests including prominent student activist leader Joshua Wong.

The BBC's Juliana Liu in Hong Kong says that thousands had arrived spontaneously to support the demonstration by students.

Those outside the government buildings plan to stay until they are forcibly removed, she says.

Protesters say they will stay until they are forcibly removed

However, some students expressed unease that their protest was apparently being taken over by Occupy Central.

"A lot of students left as soon as Occupy made the announcement they were starting their occupation," said university graduate Vito Leung, 24.

"I think they were really forcing it. This was always a separate student movement with similar goals but different directions. I don't think it should be brought together like this."

Unrest began when the Chinese government announced that candidates for the 2017 chief executive election would first have to be approved by a nominating committee.

Activists have argued that this does not amount to true democracy.

At least 34 people have been injured since the protests began, including four police officers and 11 government staff and guards, authorities said.