Police stand behind their barricades set up near the site of a protest rally in the Admiralty district of Hong Kong on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Fresh clashes between protesters and police broke out in Hong Kong's Admiralty district Sunday night after the leaders of the Occupy movement announced an escalation of protests and that they would attempt to occupy the streets around the government's headquarters.

Hundreds of protesters marched from Tim Mei Avenue to the government's headquarters at around 9 pm after the leaders of the Hong Kong Federation of Students and Scholarism, the two main groups that have been organizing the Occupy movement, called on protesters to occupy, and block access to, the government buildings.

Lung Wo Road in particular was the site of violent clashes. Pepper spray and batons were deployed by police to disperse the crowd and prevent them from getting close to government buildings, Hong Kong media has reported.

Since Friday, Occupy groups have been calling on their supporters to go to the protest site and join a gathering planned to occur at 6 pm on Sunday. They said that they aimed to put pressure on the government to respond to their political demands. They asked protesters to bring along protective equipment including umbrellas, goggles and cardboard shields, showing that they expected to clash with police.

After learning that a large-scale protest was going to take place, the police stationed approximately 4,500 police officers in Admiralty.

The police also warned local residents not to go to Admiralty on Sunday as it would be "highly risky" and that they would take action if the situation became violent. Red flags which said "do not charge or we will use force" were raised by police several times when protesters charged the cordon, reported Hong Kong media.

"Some extremists have asked protesters to bring along equipment such as helmets, masks and goggles, and it is clear what their intentions are. If any police officers witness any violent behavior, or anyone charging the police cordon, or blocking access to the government headquarters, police must take action to restore order and security," Kong Man-keung, a senior police superintendent, told reporters over the weekend.

A total of 42 people were arrested on Friday and Saturday, according to Kong. They have been charged with a variety of offenses such as illegal assembly, assaulting police officers, illegally possessing weapons and obstructing police officers.

Eight police officers were injured, including two that were hit by objects thrown by protesters, said Kong.

Legislators called on protesters to withdraw and pursue their demands through legal channels. "The protesters should use legal means to solve the current political problem and they should stop affecting the lives of others. Citizens will not agree with what they are doing," Tang Ka-piu, a Hong Kong legislator, told the Global Times.