HONG KONG (AP) -- Hong Kong police warned of serious consequences if pro-democracy protesters try to occupy government buildings, as they have threatened to do if the territory's leader didn't resign by Thursday.<br />
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Tensions mounted ahead of the deadline set by students for the city's Beijing-backed Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to step down - part of broader demonstrations pushing for electoral reforms for the Asian financial center.<br />
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Both the Chinese government and the student protesters seemed to be losing patience after the weeklong street protests, the biggest challenge to Beijing's authority since China took control of the former British colony in 1997.<br />
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In a reflection of growing concern in Beijing, China's ruling party mouthpiece warned in a commentary Thursday of "chaos" in Hong Kong, and expressed strong support for Leung in his face-off with the protesters, an amorphous movement led mostly by university students.<br />
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Late Thursday afternoon, hundreds of young protesters crowded in front of the gate to the territory's government headquarters, spilling around the sides of the huge building and across the street. Many donned face masks and goggles, some had gas masks and rain capes - all precautions in case police might use tear gas and pepper spray, as they did last weekend to try to disperse demonstrators.<br />
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"We can't just sit here forever because we can't achieve what we want. We hope to have a direction with actions soon, not just sit here aimlessly," said Maness Ko, a 21-year-old college student.<br />
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The protesters oppose Beijing's decision in August that candidates in Hong Kong's first direct election in 2017 for the territory's top post be approved by a mostly pro-Beijing committee. They accuse the central government of reneging on its promise that the chief executive would be chosen through "universal suffrage."
