Updated — Sept. 29, 4 p.m. ET:
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Live video from Hong Kong
A second day of pro-democracy protests began Monday morning in Hong Kong in what has become known as Occupy Central, the Umbrella Movement or the Umbrella Revolution.
On Harcourt Rd near Admiralty Centre: ppl rest under the umbrella, no sign to leave
students from CNEC Lee I Yao Memorial Secondary School in Kwai Tsing District on strike #OccupyCentral
Symbol of a peaceful 'umbrella movement' in #HongKong began to emerge on Facebook. Designer unclear. #OccupyCentral
At least 56 people have been injured and 89 arrested, CNN reported, after protests in Hong Kong intensified and police and demonstrators clashed.
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Drone footage from above the Occupy Central protests in Hong Kong.
The protests came after a week of student-led boycotts and demonstrations against China's political reign over Hong Kong, and specifically to China's rule that only Beijing-vetted candidates will be able to run for Hong Kong's chief executive, the city's top position.
Organizers asked protesters to go home late on Sunday, fearing police would use rubber bullets, but still the groups did not disperse.
Hong Kong Assistant Police Commissioner Cheung Tak-keung said in a press conference on Monday that 41 people, including police officers, had been injured in the last three days, the BBC reported. He added that his officers had used the "bare minimum" of force.
To protect themselves from tear gas, demonstrators donned goggles, masks, and raincoats, and some brought umbrellas.
Video footage and pictures uploaded to Twitter showed police using pepper spray and tear gas against groups of pro-democracy demonstrators.
These images from Hong Kong today can't be what Beijing envisioned. RT @BBCCarrie: Umbrella man. RT
I just stumbled onto this photo. It speaks for itself. #OccupyCentral
A video uploaded to YouTube purports to show police using pepper spray against an elderly protester.
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Police also gassed members of a CNN camera crew.
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Protestors in Hong Kong mimicking the "hands up, don't shoot" of Ferguson demonstrations (Alex Ogle/Getty)
Demonstrators told CNN that they believe undercover police officers had joined in with the protest groups, and others said they saw police "preparing water cannons."
The main pro-democracy advocacy group organizing the protests — Occupy Central — is not affiliated with the broader Occupy movement and is hoping to fight against China's decision to mandate what candidates can make a bid for Hong Kong's top civil position.
"Occupy Central has formally begun," said a statement by the group. They added:
The two nights of occupation of Civic Square in Admiralty have completely embodied the awakening of Hong Kong people's desire to decide their own lives. The courage of the students and members of the public in their spontaneous decision to stay has touched many Hong Kong people. Yet, the government has remained unmoved. As the wheel of time has reached this point, we have decided to arise and act.
Protesters pushed traffic barriers into the streets by the financial center of the city to block access.
As images of the protest spread, Instagram was blocked in China, as was the phrase "Occupy Central" on China's version of Twitter, Weibo, Reuters reported.
Breaking: Instagram just got blocked in China, possibly due to the circulation of protests photos in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong government said on Monday that it had pulled back riot police from the city where thousands protested, the New York Times reported.
What you should know about the protests in Hong Kong http://t.co/S3qV3zMTg3