Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor silent amid pleas for Occupy concessions
Trouble in Mong Kok as police use pepper spray and batons to disperse protesters
Hopes of concessions to break the stalemate of Occupy Central - which blew up again last night - have been dealt a setback with Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor not responding to pleas at a meeting with pan-democrats.
The lawmakers confirmed to the yesterday that they held a breakfast meeting with the chief secretary on Thursday but failed to get a response.
Chaos erupted late last night near the pro-democracy protest sites in Mong Kok, where bailiffs had earlier removed barricades after the two-month sit-in.
Hundreds of people gathered near the junction of Argyle Street and Sai Yeung Choi Street South, with many urging police to let them cross the cordoned road. Police swiftly pushed them back, triggering clashes.
Police warned protesters not to charge, to no avail, then used pepper spray and batons to disperse the crowd. Dozens of people were taken away.
Referring to the meeting, Civic Party leader Alan Leong Kah-kit said: "We told Mrs Lam that the government must create circumstances that are conducive to ending the 'umbrella movement'. But she gave us no response at all on this."