Hong Kong protest sees thousands call for city's leader to step down: live updates - CNN

Large numbers of young protesters have regrouped on the same street they were expelled from by police just days earlier, with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Sitting peacefully on Harcourt Road, black-clad protesters said they were considering staying for hours or even overnight on the usually busy street.

Protesters begin to sit down on Harcourt Court next to the Legislative Council on Sunday. CNN/James Griffiths

Harcourt Road runs through the middle of Hong Kong's affluent Admiralty district, alongside the city's Legislative Council building. It was one of the main sites of 2014's Occupy protests.

The mood Sunday was completely different to earlier in the week, with a tiny almost invisible police presence and relaxed crowd, almost none of whom were wearing face coverings or helmets and other safety gear.

Outside the central government offices a large crowd called for Carrie Lam to resign but even there the mood was far less hostile than Wednesday and no one was obviously equipped for renewed skirmishes with police.

While the mood could change, Hong Kongers appear to have not only come out in great numbers, but shown they can do so completely peacefully.