Hong Kong student protest leaders Joshua Wong and Lester Shum were among those arrested amid heated confrontations as authorities attempted to clear demonstration camps in the Mong Kok district for a second day . Wong , the 18-year old founder of the secondary school activist group Scholarism , and Shum , deputy secretary general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students , were arrested after police and bailiffs moved to clear barricades on Nathan Road in the bustling commercial area , a spokeswoman for the student federation told CNN . By midday Wednesday , authorities had cleared barricades and tents from the long-established protest camp . Prior to his arrest , Shum told CNN he urged protesters to remain on the streets until the `` last second . '' `` We will still conduct our civil disobedience action until the last second , until the plaintiffs or the police arrest us , '' he said . Bailiffs have been engaged to clear the Mong Kok protest camps in accordance with a court order obtained by local business interests , following complaints that the protests have disrupted life in parts of the city for nearly two months . Police warned that anyone obstructing the bailiffs in their work would face charges of contempt of court or obstructing an officer . Some protesters were seen assisting authorities in dismantling shelters , as police ordered demonstrators disperse and not to interrupt the clearance . Others were tackled to the ground and detained by police during the clearance efforts . Night of clashes . The police action followed a night of heated clashes between police and protesters , after authorities attempted to clear another road in Mong Kok , Argyle Street , Tuesday . As of 6am Wednesday morning Hong Kong time , 116 people had been arrested during the confrontation in Mong Kok , according to Alice Tam of the Police Public Relations Branch . Offenses included resisting police , illegal assembly , possession of weapons and attacking police . Twenty police officers were injured in clashes , said Tam . Lawmaker and pro-democracy activist Leung Kwok-hung , commonly known as `` Long Hair , '' was among those arrested , his office confirmed . Tuesday 's clearance effort began peacefully , with some protesters indicating their intention to relocate to other protest camps peacefully . But events spiraled into violence as crowd numbers swelled , with police dressed in riot gear spraying liquid referred to by local media as `` tear water '' toward the crowd to drive them back . Police warned protesters to retreat , displaying banners that read : `` Stop charging , or we use force . '' As the situation Tuesday night escalated , activists issued calls on social media for reinforcements . The Hong Kong Federation of Students ' tweeted : `` More support urgently needed in Mong Kok ! Bring helmets , ( goggles ) , shields , umbrellas , towels and be careful ! '' As bailiffs announced their intention to clear the site Tuesday morning , protesters joined in chants calling for universal suffrage and demanding the resignation of Hong Kong 's chief executive , C.Y . Leung . Prior to leaving on a trip to South Korea on Tuesday , Leung said he had confidence in police to handle the situation in Mong Kok and said the government remained willing to engage in dialogue on political reform . Universal suffrage . Pro-democracy protesters have occupied camps in parts of the city for nearly two months , and maintain a main protest site outside government buildings in Admiralty on Hong Kong Island . Calling for universal suffrage , they want to be able to nominate candidates for the election of the city 's chief executive in 2017 . Instead , China 's National People 's Congress has said they 'll be able to vote only for candidates from a short list approved by a pro-Beijing committee . Currently , the chief executive is elected by a specially appointed 1,200-member election committee . At the peak of the protests in early October , tens of thousands of people were on the streets at three locations . But numbers have dwindled as the protests have continued , and recent local polling suggests support has dipped . In a random survey of 513 people conducted by the University of Hong Kong , 83 % said pro-democracy protesters should cease their occupation of major roads in Hong Kong , while just 13 % said the protests should continue . No plans to halt . Prior to his arrest , Shum told CNN there were no plans to give up the protests . `` The most urgent step is to revoke the August 31 NPC decision . The political reform problem starts from there , '' he said , referring to the Chinese central government 's controversial decision to impose vetting restrictions on who could run as a candidate for Hong Kong 's top office . `` If the Chinese communist party refuses to , or the Hong Kong government does not reflect how Hong Kong people think , we urge them to deny the political reform bill in the Legislative Council and restart the whole political process again . '' He said the decision on whether to remain on the streets and face violence or arrest was each individual protester 's own to make . `` I believe it is a personal or individual decision , because everyone has different degrees of consequences that they have to face alone , '' he said . Who 's who in the Hong Kong protests ?
Hong Kong student protest leaders Joshua Wong and Lester Shum arrested . Hong Kong police : 116 people had been arrested during confrontation in Mong Kok . Clashes erupted after bailiffs initiated a court-ordered clearance of a street . Authorities cleared a nearby street of protesters ' barricades and tents Wednesday .