Hong Kong protests: Mesmerising drone footage shows scale of pro-democracy demonstrations

Thousands of people are occupying streets in the city's financial centre

Drone footage of the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong (Nero Chan/Facebook)

A drone has captured the sheer scale of the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong as thousands of people continue to occupy the city streets.

Swooping over the Admiralty district, where demonstrations are focused around the Government headquarters, the drone captured images of protesters milling around, distributing food and making signs on Monday.

They are camped out on roads, flyovers and bridges in the area, which is surrounded by the skyscrapers of some of the world’s largest companies and lined with luxury shops and restaurants.

A police crackdown on the Occupy Central movement over the weekend, using baton charges, tear gas and pepper spray, only served to swell the number of supporters.

Post by Nero Chan.

The situation calmed on Monday, when police left the protesters to continue their peaceful occupation after several nights of clashes.

The blockade was extended on Tuesday, as protesters stocked up on supplies and erected makeshift barricades ahead of a feared push to clear the roads before Chinese National Day tomorrow.

Demonstrators are expecting a wave of mainlanders to join them on the public holiday, which marks the Communist Party's foundation of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Drone footage of the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong (Nero Chan/Facebook)

The movement started in protest against the Chinese Government’s refusal to let Hong Kong select its own candidates for leadership elections in 2017, allowing only pre-approved politicians to stand.

Supporters are demanding rapid democratic reforms and the immediate resignation of the city’s unpopular Beijing-backed leader, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.

The movement, dubbed the Umbrella Revolution because of the widespread use of umbrellas against tear gas and pepper spray, has sparked solidarity protests around the world.

Demonstrations are being run by a group called Occupy Central with Love and Peace, which describes itself as a “non-violent direct action movement that demands a fully democratic government in Hong Kong”.