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Hong Kong's Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok Wednesday told the legislators that there were no alternatives but to use tear gas to prevent the demonstrators from further clashes with the police.
There were chaotic scenes during a clear-out operation in a tunnel near the main protest area in Admiralty on early Wednesday morning as officers scuffled with demonstrators, wrestled some to the ground and forced others off the road. The police had to fire pepper spray during violent clashes with the protesters.
Some people complained they had been injured by the police during the operation, while four officers were hurt.
Forty-five people, including 37 men and eight women, were detained for illegal assembly and obstructing the police in the clash.
Meanwhile, a number of Hong Kong residents came to the Hong Kong Police Headquarters located in Wanchai on Wednesday afternoon to express their support for the police's clear-out operations as well as calling for more actions to re-open thorough traffic.
The residents appealed for an end to the protests, saying the protesters have already seriously interfered with their life, and they stressed that participants of the Occupy Central movement should not resort to illegal means for democracy.
As for a video clip showing police officers who used " inappropriate" force against an arrested person, some residents said that if it was confirmed, the officers involved should be disciplined following the procedure. Despite this incident, they still support the police's actions.
Lai said the Complaints Against Police Office, which has received a relevant complaint, will investigate the incident in a fair manner and in accordance with established procedures.
The police also expressed concern over the incident and will conduct an impartial investigation.
Meanwhile, Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Raymond Tam said the government is liaising with the Federation of Students, one of the major organizers of the protests, to reopen talks on constitutional development through a middleman.
Tam said the government's responsibility is to implement the 2017 Chief Executive election by universal suffrage in line with the Basic Law and the decision of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, and on that basis the government is open to dialogue with the community.
The Chief Executive's Question and Answer Session at the Legislative Council (LegCo) originally scheduled for Thursday has been rescheduled, a spokesman for the Chief Executive's Office said.
The decision was made after security and risk assessments, in view of the serious tunnel clash and protesters still gathering in the vicinity of the LegCo Complex.
