Protesters belonging to the Hong Kong Occupy  Central movement have been warned they have only until Thursday morning to pack their belongings and vacate roads and public areas they have been occupying for more than ten weeks.

The Hong Kong police Tuesday warned that they will carry out enforcement action to  clear the last major protest camp on Thursday, and remove blockades near the city government headquarters. The action could potentially end the pro-democracy protest movement that was launched in protest of Beijing's decision to limit choices in the election of the city's next chief executive in 2017.

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"For those who refuse to leave, the police will take enforcement action," police spokesman Cheung Tak-keung said, adding that such action could be dispersal or arrest. "We will not leave much time for protesters to pack up on Thursday morning."

Police and protesters have clashed repeatedly during the last few weeks everytime the authorities attempted to clear the protest areas. In the Mong Kok shopping district, the removal of roadblocks led to violence when the demonstrators tried to retake the sites. More than 100 protesters were arrested at one time last month.

On Tuesday, bailiffs posted notices along the stretch of the main protest site, asking people not to prevent or obstruct normal vehicular traffic from passing in the areas. The notices warned offenders could be charged for contempt of court. Local public broadcaster RHTK said an estimated 7,000 police officers will be deployed on Thursday to carry out enforcement action.

Police also advised people to avoid going to the government center on Thursday unless it is absolutely necessary.

Protest leaders and participants were contemplating on whether to abandon the protest in the face of the latest police warning, or stay and resist any removal attempt. Alex Chow, leader of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, said they will stay on and continue non-violent protest.

"We hope to see you all again on Thursday morning," he said before a crowd of hundreds of supporters. 

TagsHong Kong, occupy central