Dozens of Hong Kong protesters detained as police attempt to clear street camp

Demonstrators suffered minor injuries while being arrested by police

Around 28 pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong were arrested last night after clashing with the police in the Mong Kok district as officers attempted to clear public space.

The detainees, the youngest aged 16, were held for offences including unlawful assembly and possession of offensive weapons and suffered minor injuries amid the scuffles.

Demonstrators attempted to retake an area of Argyle Street after protest camps were cleared by police after nine weeks occupying the street.

Hundreds of protesters began to arrive in Mong Kok late on Friday night and riot gear-clad officers warned them to leave or face arrest.

During the clashes, batons and pepper spray were used by officers while protesters retaliated with throwing water bottles and eggs while chanting: "I want genuine universal suffrage" in reference to demand of full democratic rights in Hong Kong in the city.

The protests - led by 18-year-old student activist Joshua Wong - started in September this year after China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) announced its decision on proposed electoral reform.

Out on bail, he said that police used excessive force and vowed that the demonstrators will continue - however they would not try to retake the Mong Kok district.

The civil movement – also known as Occupy Central and the Umbrella Revolution – is demanding fully free leadership elections for the autonomous city. However, Beijing has refused to change a system which vets all candidates.

Britain and China signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration in 1984, which is supposed to protect both the ‘one nation, two systems’ principle and Hong Kong’s capitalist system until 2047.