Hong Kong police have arrested two student leaders of the protests, which began in the region in September.
Occupy Central supporters refuse to budge despite repeated attempts to remove them but police obtained a court order allowing them to clear swathes of tents and barricades.
Eighty court bailiffs were also appointed to help clear the area.
Police in Hong Kong have fired pepper spray at Occupy Central protesters as they attempted to clear them out of a tunnel which leads to the city's government headquarters.
Riot officers tore down barricades in and around the underpass hours after a large group of protesters blockaded it.
Activists outnumbered the police officers who were forced to retreat from the area. But they later returned with reinforcements.
Local television reports showed officers taking away dozens of protesters.
Protesters have occupied key parts of the city for more than two weeks to pressure the government into democratic reform.
Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying has said there is "almost zero chance" China's government will change its rules for the 2017 election.
The superhero appeared to join pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong which have been going on for over a month.
A Hong Kong resident says the Occupy Central protests, now in their third week, show another side to a city known for its "cold efficiency".
Despite clashes on the streets a university student used a brief moment of quiet to ask his girlfriend to marry him and she said 'yes'.