Thousands of protesters swarmed Hong Kong streets Saturday as pro-democracy demonstrations flared up again in the continuing saga of deepening political crisis in Asia's financial hub.

Protesters reclaimed the streets of Mong Kok district late Friday, only a few hours after a pre-dawn raid that saw the removal of the metal barricades that have been blocking the streets for the last three weeks.

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The move backfired on Friday evening as the biggest crowds in weeks flocked to the area, forcing the deployment of hundreds of police officers-many of them clad in full riot gear.

As in weeks before, the police used pepper spray in a bid to disperse the crowd.

More than two dozen people were arrested, while 15 officers were reportedly injured in the ensuing clashes. There were reports of injuries in the crowd as well but no tally was immediately available.

Following the violent clash, the outnumbered police were ordered to pull back, causing a partial break of tension in the student-led crowd demanding genuine democratic freedom for electing the city's next chief executive.

Tensed standoffs continued for hours later with police officers setting up human cordons to hold back the crowd as protesters set up new street barricades.

The fresh clashes came after the city's chief executive Leung Chun-ying offered to sit with the student leaders next week in a negotiation that seeks to end the conflict without necessarily giving the protesters their demand.

Last week, the government pulled out of scheduled talks after the students vowed to occupy the streets if the government continues to refuse representing their demands to Beijing.

Official police estimates pegged Friday's crowd in Mong Kok at 9,000 strong. By Saturday morning, the protesters have thinned considerably, but the streets remained blocked. 

TagsHong Kong pro-democracy protest, Mong Kok, Hong Kong