After night of tear gas Hong Kong protesters dig in

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Hong Kong (CNN) Thousands of pro democracy protesters remained camped out on major highways in the heart of Hong Kong on Monday defying government attempts to both coerce and cajole them into giving up their extraordinary demonstration.

The protests have brought widespread disruption to the heart of one of Asia's biggest financial centers blocking traffic on multilane roads and prompting the suspension of school classes.

A police crackdown on demonstrators on Sunday involving tear gas batons and pepper spray resulted in clashes that injured more than 40 people but failed to eject the protesters from their positions among the city's glittering skyscrapers.

The government adopted a more conciliatory approach Monday saying it had withdrawn riot police from the protest areas. It urged people to disperse and allow traffic to return to the roads.

But the protesters rallying against what many see as the growing influence of the Chinese Communist Party on the way Hong Kong is run are so far refusing to budge.

Riot police fire tear gas on student protesters occupying streets around government buildings in Hong Kong on Monday September 29. Demonstrators are angry at China's decision to allow only Beijing vetted candidates to stand in the city's elections for chief executive in 2017. Police officers rest after protests on September 29. Protesters say Beijing has gone back on its pledge to allow universal suffrage in Hong Kong which was promised a high degree of autonomy when it was handed back to China by Britain in 1997. Protesters block the Central business district on September 29. Protesters take bottles of water and other supplies donated to a church in Wanchai on September 29. Protesters take photos in the middle of a tunnel in Hong Kong on September 29. People walk along a closed road near the protests on September 29. Protesters occupy Nathan Road a major thoroughfare in the Kowloon district of Hong Kong on September 29. While thousands of pro democracy demonstrators clogged Central and nearby Admiralty areas other protests sprang up in other parts of the city. Pro democracy protesters argue with a man left who opposes the occupation of Nathan Road in Hong Kong on September 29. Pro democracy protesters rest around empty buses as they block Nathan Road in Hong Kong on September 29. Multiple bus routes have been suspended or diverted. Protesters turn the Chinese flag upside down on September 29 outside a commercial building near the main Occupy Central protest area in Hong Kong. Protesters occupy a main road in the Central district of Hong Kong after riot police used tear gas against them on Sunday September 28. Police use pepper spray and tear gas against demonstrators September 28. The protests which have seen thousands of students in their teens and 20s take to the streets swelled in size over the weekend. Demonstrators disperse as tear gas is fired during a protest on September 28. There is an optimal amount of police officers dispersed around the scene a Hong Kong police representative said. Police and protesters clash during a tense standoff with thousands of student demonstrators recently joined by the like minded Occupy Central movement on September 28. Riot police clash with protesters on September 28. Thousands of people kick off Occupy Central by taking over Connaught Road one of the major highways in Hong Kong on September 28. Benny Tai center founder of the Occupy Central movement raises a fist after announcing the group would join the students during a demonstration outside government headquarters in Hong Kong on September 28. Pro democracy activist and former legislator Martin Lee wears goggles and a mask to protect against pepper spray on September 28. A pro democracy activist shouts at police officers behind a fence with yellow ribbons on September 28. A sign for the Hong Kong central government offices has been crossed out with red tape by democracy activists on September 28. Protesters gather during a demonstration outside the headquarters of the Legislative Counsel on September 28 as calls for Beijing to grant the city universal suffrage grow louder and more fractious. Protesters tie up barricades on September 28 during a demonstration outside the headquarters of the Legislative Council in Hong Kong. An injured protester is tended to after clashing with riot police outside Hong Kong government complex on Saturday September 27. Riot police use pepper spray on pro democracy activists who forced their way into the Hong Kong government headquarters during a demonstration on September 27. People watc from on high as pro democracy demonstrators are surrounded by police after storming a courtyard outside Hong Kong's legislative headquarters on Friday September 26. Students march to Government House in Hong Kong on Thursday September 25. A police officer reacts after students in Hong Kong attach yellow ribbons to the barrier fences of government offices on Wednesday September 24. Students take part in a rally outside Hong Kong's government complex on Tuesday September 23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Photos Hong Kong pro democracy protests Pro democracy protests in Hong Kong

As long as there's one person that's still out here on this highway I'm going to be here a young woman named Nikki told CNN at the main protest site near the government headquarters where thousands of people were gathered on Monday.

Hong Kong protests What you need to know

Police action shocks residents

The protesters are responding to China's decision to allow only Beijing vetted candidates to stand in the city's election in 2017 for chief executive Hong Kong's top civil position. They say Beijing has gone back on its pledge to allow universal suffrage in Hong Kong which was promised a high degree of autonomy when it was handed back to China by Britain in 1997.

The large scale demonstrations now taking place grew out of student led boycotts and protests that began last week. The demonstrations increased in size over the weekend after gaining the support of Occupy Central with Love and Peace a protest group that was already planning to lead a campaign of civil disobedience later this week against the Chinese government's decision.

Images of heavy handed treatment of protesters by police shocked many residents of Hong Kong where large scale peaceful protests are common but police crackdowns are not.

They shouldn't have used tear gas said Brian Lo 37 who works in human resources and wasn't protesting. This made people angry.

The strong police response appeared to stir thousands more people into joining the demonstrations swelling the ranks of protesters around the government headquarters and starting new rallies in other key areas of the city including the densely populated district of Kowloon which sits on the opposite side of Victoria Harbor from Hong Kong Island.

'Umbrella revolution'

Despite the government's announcement that it had pulled riot police back from the protest sites smaller numbers of officers remained on guard on the sidelines of the main protest area.

Hong Kong youth demanding democracy

Aside from the clashes with police the protesters have remained overwhelmingly peaceful. People have been picking up trash left at the protest sites handing out bottles of water and encouraging police officers to put down their weapons and join the demonstrations.

Hong Kong democracy protest

In the face of tear gas and pepper spray demonstrators have used goggles homemade masks and umbrellas to protect themselves.

The abundance of umbrellas among the crowds shielding people from both tear gas and the fierce glare of the sun has prompted many social media users to dub the movement the umbrella revolution.

'We had to use force'

Fears nonetheless remain about the possibility of a heavier crackdown from authorities. Both the Chinese and Hong Kong governments have said they consider the protests to be unlawful.

Hong Kong Chief Executive C.Y. Leung whom protesters are calling on to resign has said police have acted with the greatest possible restraint in dealing with the protesters. At least 12 police officers were among the 47 people injured authorities said.

Hong Kong chief executive Raw emotion 'will get us nowhere'

We gave them enough of a chance to leave and this included warnings Assistant Police Commissioner Cheung Tak keung said of protesters at a news conference Monday. But when they failed we had to use force.

Police fired a total of 87 tear gas canisters on Sunday night he said.

In an indication authorities don't expect the demonstrations to end soon the Hong Kong government said it was canceling the city's annual fireworks display on Wednesday China's National Day because of the protests.

What will Beijing do

Some commentators say they see little hope of compromise between the committed protesters and the Chinese Communist Party which remains notorious for its ruthless suppression of pro democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989.

I see no way the Chinese government can tolerate what is happening in HK. Greatly fear this will end badly tweeted Mike Chinoy a senior fellow at the U.S. China Institute at the University of Southern California who covered the Tiananmen crackdown for CNN.

Hong Kong students rally for democracy

Pro democracy activist and former legislator Martin Lee told CNN's Ivan Watson that China had troops stationed in Hong Kong who could clear the streets if ordered to.

But Hong Kong people I think many of them would not be scared. I certainly would not be scared. And I've said it before and I say it again if I see a tank from the Chinese troops in Hong Kong I would get myself a bicycle and stand right in front of it Lee said.

Hua Chunying a spokeswoman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday that Beijing fully believes in and firmly supports the Hong Kong government's ability to handle the situation in accordance with the law.

Chinese authorities appeared to be taking steps to restrict the flow of information into the mainland about what was happening in Hong Kong. State media gave little coverage to the story and it appeared censors had blocked access to Instagram after images of the protests flooded the photo sharing app.

Hong Kong citizens enjoy a range of civil liberties including rights to free speech and assembly that are severely restricted in mainland China.

How Hong Kong remains distinct from China

The U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong said Monday that the United States strongly supports Hong Kong's well established traditions and Basic Law protections of internationally recognized fundamental freedoms. (The Basic Law which serves as a de facto constitution was written in the lead up to the 1997 handover of sovereignty from Britain to China.)

It added that it doesn't take sides in the discussion of Hong Kong's political development nor do we support any particular individuals or groups involved in it.

A UK Foreign Office spokesman said Britain believed Hong Kong's prosperity and security were underpinned by its fundamental rights and freedoms including the right to demonstrate.

It is important for Hong Kong to preserve these rights and for Hong Kong people to exercise them within the law the spokesman said. These freedoms are best guaranteed by the transition to universal suffrage.

CNN's Esther Pang Vivian Kam Anjali Tsui Simon Harrison Euan McKirdy Felicia Wong Ivan Watson Chieu Luu Elizabeth Joseph David McKenzie Steven Jiang Katie Hunt and Steve Almasy contributed to this report.

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