Many of the barricades near Occupy Central began coming down this morning, but not without resistance. I took the above video at 1:40 pm today on Queensway in Admiralty, just below Hong Kong’s police headquarters, a few blocks from the main protest grounds. A group of older men, apparently frustrated that the two-week Occupy Central protests have blocked their streets, rip down the barricades while others chant, “Open the roads.” Some quick-thinking Occupy protesters immediately plant themselves in the middle of the street for an impromptu sit-in.

(Note: the video has been edited for brevity; the raw footage is here.)

Within minutes, police began rushing into the area to keep the peace. They would be needed, because within an hour, hundreds would congregate at this spot, chanting “rubbish” at one another across the dividing line.

I’ll have more videos, pictures, and words in a bit. (Update: more videos, pictures, and words.) For now, here’s a closer look at the protesters who replaced the barricades with themselves:

Screenshots from the video: