The three founders of the Occupy Central movement of the ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong announced that they will surrender to the police on Wednesday, and urged fellow protesters to "retreat".
"As we prepare to surrender, we three urge the students to retreat - to put down deep roots in the community and transform the movement," Occupy Central leader Benny Tai said on Tuesday, reported Channel News Asia.
The Occupy Central movement, originally called 'Occupy Central With Love and Peace' was started by the trio of Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Chan Kin-man and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming as a civil disobedience movement. Protesters were called to block roads and areas around government buildings.
China had termed the movement as 'unlawful' and had warned of "chaos" if the protesters persisted with the movement in the former British colony.
On Monday, protesters attempted to storm government buildings and headquarters in what was said to be one of the most violent days of the pro-democracy protests, which have stretched beyond two months.
The movement's founders had proposed calling off the protests last week itself.
"Given the backlash from the community, we have advised students to think of other forms of protest, instead of just focusing on occupations," Occupy Central co-founder Chan Kin-man told CNN.
Protesters are demanding that the Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying begin talks of electoral reform after China announced in August that all candidates for the 2017 Hong Kong elections should be approved by a special committee, which protestors claim comprises only pro-Beijing members.
Following Monday's violence, Chun-ying had said the Occupy protests were "in vain".
"I have pointed out before that Occupy Central is not only illegal but it will also be in vain,'' he was quoted saying by Hong Kong's The Standard.
The Occupy protests were also said to be detrimental to Hong Kong's economic growth.
