Hong Kong police prepare to clear Admiralty of protesters

Police will sweep the district of Admiralty in Hong Kong today at 11am to clear out the Occupy Central base camp there, arresting those who refuse to leave and recording the personal details of anyone who leaves voluntarily after that time, South China Morning Post reported. The uncompromising measures were revealed last night as thousands gathered in expectation of a dramatic end to the peaceful pro-democracy sit-ins that have been dubbed the “umbrella movement”. The clearance is set to end eleven weeks of protests sparked by Beijing’s decision to insist on vetting candidates for chief executive in Hong Kong’s first election in 2017.