HK to shut down last and smallest protest location

Hong Kong police said on Saturday they would clear out the third and final pro-democracy protest camp next week, putting an end to demonstrations that have blocked traffic in the southern Chinese city’s streets for 2 1/2 months. Police spokesman Steve Hui said authorities were giving the handful of protesters still occupying a short stretch of road in Causeway Bay enough time to pack up their belongings before they move in Monday.

This past week, authorities shut down the protesters’ main camp near the heart of the city’s financial district and arrested 249 people who refused to leave for unlawful assembly. The student-led protesters rejected Beijing’s plan to screen all candidates in the first-ever elections for Hong Kong’s top leader, but failed to win significant concessions from the government. However, many say the protest movement sparked a wider political awakening among the city’s residents, especially the young.