By Tyler Durden

As a peaceful Saturday demonstration spiraled into chaos, Hong Kong police have fired tear gas at anti-government activists who have been protesting for nine weeks against a controversial bill which would have allowed people to be extradited to mainland China to stand trial.

Protesters donning hard-hats, masks and other gear could be seen hurling bricks at the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station in Mong Kok province, while others set fire to garbage cans and other debris in the streets, according to SCMP.

WATCH: Protesters enveloped by tear gas as they retreat down Nathan road pic.twitter.com/JwjlcFbaKW

— Victor Ting (@VictorTing7) August 3, 2019

Cornered #HongKong riot police burst out of van in Wong Tai Sin and are attacked by an angry crowd throwing umbrellas and settting off fire extinguishershttps://t.co/hnRsVFKOzH pic.twitter.com/3lOZuwQfPE

— RTHK English News (@rthk_enews) August 3, 2019

Protestors in #HongKong are using a self made catapult to launch street tiles against an police building in the area. #China pic.twitter.com/4KvgOXdi9B

— Sotiri Dimpinoudis (@sotiridi) August 3, 2019

This video showing anti- riot cops retreating in Wong Tai Sin when hundreds of neighbors went down IMMEDIATELY to yell at them to go away from WTS. #antielab #hongkong #againstpolicebrutality pic.twitter.com/a3F8gA6GJp

— Poppie (@jesuispoppie) August 3, 2019

First round of tear gas fired onto Shan Tung Street. A team of #protesters rushed into work and one tossed the tear gas canister back towards the police. pic.twitter.com/MdWDSXvrE0

— Rachel Cheung (@rachel_cheung1) August 3, 2019

Protesters could be seen hurling bricks at the Mong Kok province police station, while others vandalized walls, vehicles and lamp posts.

A day after thousands of civil servants took to the streets in Central to urge authorities to give in to protesters’ demands, people gathered on Saturday for an approved rally in the shopping hub of Mong Kok, but which soon splintered off into different directions, ending in clashes in Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui as police used tear gas.

Outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station, some had hurled bricks into its car park, while others vandalised vehicles and lamp posts. The force said it had issued a warning for the crowd to leave before firing rounds of tear gas. 

Earlier, protesters marched all the way to the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, briefly blocking it and bringing traffic to a halt, before circling back to Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui. Along sections of the main thoroughfare Nathan Road, some set up barricades and geared up with helmets and masks as night fell. –SCMP

Riot police charged towards the crowd on Nathan Road and arrested a number of protesters. pic.twitter.com/lqATBBxaWw

— Rachel Cheung (@rachel_cheung1) August 3, 2019

According to reports, thousands of civil servants have defied government orders not to join the protests – and were met with applause from Hong Kong residents as they took to major roads in the heart of the city’s business district.

“I think the government should respond to the demands, instead of pushing the police to the frontline as a shield,” 26-year-old government worker Kathy Yip told Reuters.

Hong Kong is endlessly amazing.

Today the protesters blocked the entrance and exit to the biggest highway in and out of the city.

pic.twitter.com/rmPN4vWWpS

— Joshua Potash