Hundreds of Hong Kong protesters have blocked train services during the early morning rush hour, causing commuter chaos in the latest in a string of anti-government campaigns.
The protests started three months ago as rallies against an extradition bill that would have allowed people in Hong Kong to be sent to mainland China for trial, but have now become a wider backlash against the city's government and its political relationship with Beijing.
In the latest round of demonstrations, activists blocked train doors, playing havoc with services and forcing hundreds of people to stream out of railway stations in search of alternative transport.
By mid-morning commuters were crammed into stations across the city, waiting to board trains that were badly delayed, with no service on some lines.
"We don't know how long we are going to stay here, we don't have a leader, as you can see this is a mass movement now," said one masked protester.
"It's not our intention to inconvenience people, but we have to make the authorities understand why we protest. We will continue with this as long as need."
Others chanted "Liberate Hong Kong" and "Revolution of our Time".
Rail operator MTR Corp urged people to seek other forms of transport.
Hong Kong, which returned to China in 1997, is embroiled in its worst political crisis for decades after two months of increasingly violent protests that have posed one of the gravest populist challenges to Communist Party rulers in Beijing.
China reiterated its support for Hong Kong's embattled leader, Carrie Lam, and police on Monday and urged Hong Kong people to oppose violence.
The latest protest follows a demonstration at the Chinese-ruled city's international airport on Friday and violent protests at the weekend when activists clashed with police who fired rubber bullets, tear gas and sponge grenades - a crowd-control weapon.
Some scuffles broke out between commuters and protesters, who gradually began to disperse, while more police were deployed in train stations, where they stopped protesters to search their bags.
Protests have occurred almost daily, disrupting business, piling pressure on Hong Kong's beleaguered government and stretching the city's police force, which some have accused of using excessive force.
