It's the 17th day of the Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong. Tensions are rising between pro- and anti-Occupy groups, with several scuffles breaking out between the two camps in recent days. The protests have also disrupted business and daily life, leading more and more residents to call on authorities to clear the streets as soon as possible.

The police continue their operation to clear the protesters' barricades. Early on Tuesday morning, they removed some barriers in Causeway. Westbound traffic has been restored on Yee Woo street, which has been closed down for over two weeks. And hours later, they started clearance in another major street in Admiralty.

At the Queensway street in Admiralty, you can see the police are removing the barricades set up by the protesters. The police say their action is to allow the resumption of traffic here.

The police operation started on Monday, as they dismantled some roadblocks in Mongkok and Admiralty. The officers said they would continue removing barricades in the occupied areas. Many residents say they support the police action.

"These student protesters are too naive," a Hong Kong resident said. "It's illegal for them to occupy the roads. Wherever it is, it's wrong. No matter it's in the US or UK. “

"These young protesters are damaging Hong Kong's economy," Hong Kong resident said. "They are destroying Hong Kong's prosperity, which is created by us older generations.”

As the demonstration entered the third week, the anti-Occupy voices are getting louder. On Monday, dozens of men attempted to remove barricades erected by the protesters near the government headquarters. Scores of cab drivers honked their horns in support of the removal of the barricades. In recent days, several groups have launched different movement to oppose the occupy protests.

One group initiated an assembly to gather people's signatures to demand demonstrators to leave the streets. The group said they will launch a "counter-encirclement" movement to push the occupants out the street if the government does not clear them.

Earlier, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying spoke to a local TV that the Occupy Central movement has "spun out of control", and the situation could not last long.

The government doesn't want to clear protesters from the streets unless it has to," Leung said. "But if that day does come, the police will use the minimum force required reduce the repercussions as far as possible.We don't want to see young people get hurt.”

Despite the government's repeated orders to disperse, the protesters still vow to stay until they see clear signs of progress. But with the rising anti-Occupy sentiment, many warn more possible clashes between the pro- and anti-Occupy camps. The police have called each side to be calm and rational to avoid violence.

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