DHAKA: Hong Kong police arrested pro-democracy activists and cleared most of the main protest site, marking an end to more than two months of street demonstrations in the Chinese-controlled city, but many chanted ‘We will be back’.

Most activists chose to leave the Admiralty site, next to the Central business area, peacefully, despite their demands for a free vote not being met. But the overall mood remained defiant.

Hong Kong Federation of Students leader Alex Chow said ‘You might have the clearance today but people will come back on to the streets another day.’

Groups of up to four police arrested holdout protesters one by one, hours after workers used wire cutters to remove barricades and dismantle bamboo scaffolding, reports the Times of India.

Martin Lee, one of the founders of the main opposition Democratic Party, student leader Nathan Law, media mogul Jimmy Lai and legislators were among those arrested.

Lai said 75 days of protests would never have been enough to see the demands met.

BDST: 1643 HRS, DEC 12, 2014