Police officers are reported to have used sledgehammers and chainsaws to tear down barricades built by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong's financial center.

They cut through bamboo defences and smashed concrete blocks outside the Bank of China's Hong Kong headquarters as office workers came out on the streets to watch the scene unfold.

The move by the authorities on Tuesday saw traffic flowing freely along Queensway Road once again after the barricades were cleared earlier in the day.

It's the latest development in what has been weeks of unrest in the city.

Protesters stop more traffic

By Tuesday evening, activists had gathered in another location bringing traffic to a halt.

Hundreds of people occupied the tunnel on Lung Wo Road, a major east-west arterial road near government offices.

"The police took a road from us today and cleared away tents, so we're taking this road," said protester Kelvin Chor.

Local media said riot police pushed them back with pepper spray and batons, but later retreated.

Scores of demonstrators are reported to have retaliated by forming several more lines of makeshift barricades.

"Almost zero chance" of U-turn

The protesters want China's government to drop plans for a pro-Beijing committee to screen candidates in the territory's first direct elections in 2017.

They had also called for the resignation of Hong Kong's Beijing-backed leader, Leung Chun-ying.

But Leung said there was "almost zero chance" that China's government would change its rules for the 2017 vote.

The demonstrations are the largest on Chinese territory since the Tiananmen protests in Beijing in 1989.

lw/jr (Reuters, AP, AFP)