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.
Hong Kong police have arrested two student leaders of the pro-democracy protests.
Joshua Wong and Lester Shum were held by officers, who attempted to clear hundreds of protesters overnight after obtaining a court order.
Riot police demolished barricades which have been up since the protests began in September, allowing roads to open again.
Eighty court-appointed bailiffs wearing red caps and "I love Hong Kong" T-shirts began clearing metal and wooden barricades where hundreds of tents had been erected.
But defiant protesters, whose symbol has become the umbrella, vowed to stay put as talks with the government remain unresolved.
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'.