DHAKA: Police in Hong Kong say more than 80 people have been arrested overnight in clashes with pro-democracy protesters.

The unrest came as the authorities, acting on a court order, began dismantling a protest camp in the Mong Kok commercial district.

The removal began peacefully on Tuesday but spiralled into violence overnight as protester numbers swelled.

Protesters fought running battles on the streets around Nathan Road, with police using batons and pepper spray.

Police say a total of 116 people have now been arrested since Tuesday, for offences including assaulting police, possessing offensive weapons and obstructing offices. 

The clearance operation in Mong Kok continued early on Wednesday as bailiffs, backed by police, began removing barricades. A court has given permission for the Argyle and Dundas Street areas to be cleared.

Workers in red baseball caps and T-shirts that read "I [heart] HK" started dismantling wooden pallets and other materials after a warning was read out by the bailiffs.

Anyone seen to be obstructing the process can be arrested for contempt of court, according to the injunction Hong Kong's South China Morning Post.

The activists have been on the streets since early October, demanding a free choice of leader in the 2017 election.

China, however, says the pool of candidates that people in Hong Kong will vote on will be selected by a Beijing-backed committee.

BDST: 0842 HRS, NOV 26, 2014