Hong Kong court orders pro-democracy protest sites in Admiralty to be cleared

The Hong Kong High Court has ordered the eviction of pro-democracy protesters from their sit-in sites in Admiralty.

The protesters are bracing for security personnel to take action raising fears of a showdown.

The High Court has ordered the clearance of three sections of Admiralty upholding an injunction request made by a local bus company, according to notices published in local papers on Tuesday.

The publication of the notices is said to be a necessary legal action in order to proceed with the operation.

The student activists and Occupy movement campaigners have been protesting for the past two months in the global financial hub demanding greater democracy in the Beijing-controlled semi-autonomous region.

According to the South China Morning Post, which cited a police source, the authorities could press ahead with the clearing operation with the help of more than 3,000 officers within this week.

"We aim to clear all occupied roads and reopen traffic," the source said.

All China Express, the local bus company which appealed for the injunction, is likely to hold a meeting with court bailiffs shortly.

Though the injunction has been given only for three areas of Admiralty, the police intend to clear all of the protest sites, suggest reports.

"This station and the volunteers (here) are forming a defence line. We're going to stay anyway," Main Chan, one of the protesters camped at the site, told Reuters.

The protesters' numbers have dwindled to a few dozens in Admiralty in recent days.