HONG KONG -- Hong Kong police warned of serious consequences if pro-democracy protesters try to occupy, or surround, government buildings as demonstrators have threatened to do if the city's pro-Beijing leader doesn't resign by midnight Thursday.
The warning came as tensions grew with the approach of the deadline that student protest leaders had set for Leung Chun-ying to step down. The demand is part of broader calls for electoral reform.
[seealso slug="hong-kong-democracy-protests"]
这是会令使用者背负耻辱与罪责的危险品。@ka1aok: 學民思潮計劃凌晨圍堵特首辦。警方將近百袋寫上「SUP TW」的物資、旗幟、盾牌、黃色大桶胡椒噴霧及寫明是「橡膠子彈」的大桶運入特首辦內。 #umbrellarevolution pic.twitter.com/TizrcDnYsL— Hu Jia 胡佳 (@hu_jia) October 2, 2014
At 5 p.m. local time, witnesses told Mashable they saw police take barrels of tear gas, pepper spray and shields in the direction of Leung's office.
Authorities requested protesters allow a large number of police officers through barricades for a change of shift. Police off-duty, however, did not appear to exit the area, and protesters said this effectively doubled the number of officers on the scene.
Protesters, who have prepared for a stand-off with police by stocking up on masks and goggles, are positioned near Leung's office in Admiralty, next to Tamar Park. On Thursday, a police officer could be seen filming the growing crowd. Protesters were also starting to build a barrier between authorities and themselves using metal barricades secured together with zip ties.
For the first time since the weekend, when police used tear gas on protesters, the mood felt tense. As the humidity thickened, protesters loudly chanted in cantonese: "We want universal suffrage!"
It is believed police are beefing up powers after the calls on Wednesday for protesters to occupy government buildings from midnight tonight, if Leung does not resign.
Pro-democracy protesters took over the streets of major areas in Hong Kong last week, demonstrating against Beijing's influence and calling for more democratic rights.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.