Low-key Protest Marks 'umbrella' Anniversary

A handful of protesters gathered at the Pacific Place mall in Admiralty on Monday evening to mark the sixth anniversary of the start of the pro-democracy protests that became known as the Umbrella Movement.

About two-dozen people chanted anti-government slogans and sang protest songs after calls went out online for a so-called "shopping" protest. Police urged them to disperse but there were no clashes.

Officers took up positions in various parts of the mall.

The protests mark six years to the day since thousands of people took to the streets to press Beijing for democratic elections with open nominations for chief executive.

Tension had been rising for days after the arrest of young activists including Joshua Wong who had entered a closed-off former protest site outside government headquarters in Admiralty.

Scenes of police using tear gas against protesters in Admiralty saw more people take to the streets in Causeway Bay and Mong Kok, leaving several key routes blocked.

The protests continued for three months, but drew no concessions from the local or central governments.