At Tai Kok Tsui in Mong Kok, near the rally site, the owner of a construction materials shop who wanted to be known only as Chan, closed his shop at about 4pm.

“I am worried about my employees’ safety,” he said.

Another shopkeeper, surnamed Law, also said police had issued a notice to shopkeepers in the area, advising them to close on Saturday.

But Simon Chau, who is in his seventies and owns a snack shop just across the road from Anchor Street Playground, said just before the rally the neighbourhood was quiet as usual, and he was not too worried about being affected by the protests.

“People will come to buy food and drinks. And if things get chaotic, I can always shut the shop,” he said.

Retail sector may see double-digit decline due to extradition bill protests

Ng, who runs a bakery on Anchor Street, also said she would be ready to close her shop if violence broke out. But she said she was not too worried as her shop was not on the official route of the rally.

“I’ve seen people walking by. But hopefully, this area will remain peaceful,” she said.

Kenny Wong, whose domestic worker employment agency sits on Cherry Street across the end point of the march in Mong Kok, was about to close his shop after he heard about the protest route.

“I support the right to march peacefully, but just don’t get violent,” he said.

Small businesses have reported a drop in sales since the protests began in June, though few in the area were willing to give details.

On the usually bustling Tung Choi Street – also known as Ladies’ Street, a market for cheap clothing, accessories, cosmetics and other products – all the hawkers were gone. Half of the shops on both sides of the street also closed early.

A 75-year-old snack shop owner, who wanted to be known only as Tse, said: “Once the hawkers heard about the protest, they packed away all the stalls. In the past 20 years, I’ve never seen the street so empty.”

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He also said his business had been hit hard since a wave of anti-government protests – stemming from the now-shelved extradition bill – started in June. The proposed legislation would allow the transfer of criminal suspects to jurisdictions including mainland China, where critics say there is no guarantee of a fair trial.

Tse said he made HK$7,000 (US$894) last month, but his monthly rent was HK$8,000 and his electricity bill was around HK$2,000.

Security was tight at Greenfield Garden, a residential complex on Palm Street in Tai Kok Tsui, where a notice was put up asking people not to observe the rally from public areas on the premises. It said the building’s doors would also be locked, and a password would be needed to enter the complex.

Meanwhile, an employee at a nearby aged-care home said police had warned staff the residents could be affected by the rally.

“We will close our windows and we won’t let anyone to leave the premises from noon,” she said.

It was business as usual in Olympian City 2 in Tai Kok Tsui, however, where the shops remained open.

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Visitors were also affected. Nasa, a 42-year-old Malaysian academic, said he wanted to explore Tsim Sha Tsui before he headed to the airport after a three-day stay in the city to attend a conference, but he decided to leave early because of the protests.

“I am leaving because I don’t want to be trapped,” he said, pointing to the police officers in the area.

“But it’s OK to protest, as long as it is peaceful and no one gets hurt.”

Additional reporting by Gigi Choy and Sarah Zheng