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The three co-initiators of Hong Kong's Occupy movement turned themselves in to the police on Wednesday afternoon.
Benny Tai, Chu Yiu-ming and Chan Kin-man were let go by the police at the Central Police Station in an hour. Tai said that they were not detained by the police and they were told they would be contacted if necessary in the future.
The trio announced they would surrender themselves to the police on Tuesday at a press conference. They also urged protesters, including students, to leave the Occupy areas.
Up to 4:30 p.m. local time, a total of 24 persons attended Central Police Station and surrendered for the offense of "taking part in an unauthorized assembly', according to a police spokesman.
The spokesman said that before those persons left the police station, they were explicitly told by the interviewing officers that illegal occupation of public places was an unlawful act and they should stop such act immediately. Police hope that the persons surrendered could follow police arrangement so as to minimize the impacts on the provision of normal services to the general public.
Occupy Central protests in Hong Kong's busiest areas since Sept. 28 have resulted in serious traffic disruption, less tourists, temporary closure of schools and banks and a slump in the trading of the local stock market.
There had also been a series of clashes between protesters and police, with one of the most furious scuffles taking place on Sunday when the protesters stormed the police cordon lines and blockaded the access to the Central Government Offices in Admiralty district.
The chaotic scenes have raised worries and irritation among Hong Kong citizens.
Hong Kong's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said Monday that a number of polls had revealed that public tolerance towards the Occupy Central movement was decreasing while demand for police clearance was increasing.
He noted that over the past two months, blockade of roads has dented Hong Kong's international image and caused damage to the local economy.
