Hong Kong: A sea of democracy activists once more flooded the streets of Hong Kong in a defiant show on Sunday to the city's leaders that their movement still pulls wide public support, despite mounting violence and increasingly stark warnings from Beijing.

Ten weeks of demonstrations have plunged the financial hub into crisis, with images of masked black-clad protesters engulfed by tear gas during street battles against riot police stunning a city once renowned for its stability. Communist-ruled mainland China has taken an increasingly hardline tone towards the protesters, decrying the "terrorist-like" actions of a violent hardcore minority among the demonstrators. Despite the near-nightly clashes with the police, the movement has won few concessions from Beijing or the city's un-elected leadership.