Hong Kong: Riot police block airport demonstrators as protests continue despite extradition bill withdrawal

Riot police patrolled Hong Kong's airport as authorities blocked protesters from gathering at the busy transport hub in continued demonstrations across the territory.

A heavy police presence was in place to block activists from shutting the airport down as a backlash against the government continued, despite a controversial extradition bill being scrapped.

Officers checked people travelling to the airport for passports and air tickets on Saturday, preventing activists performing another "stress test" of road and rail links in the Chinese-ruled city.

There were calls online for protesters to shed their trademark black shirts and forge boarding passes to gain access to airport terminals.

This prompted a police warning that plans to use fake boarding passes to gain entry could land offenders up to 14 years in jail

Police on Saturday searched bags of people on buses and trains headed to the airport, while they they told about 100 youngsters congregating around the airport bus terminal to leave.

There were shouting matches outside the airport between police and people who wanted to pick up arriving family members but were turned away.

Protesters occupied the arrivals hall last month, halting and delaying flights, amid a series of clashes with police.

Three months of protests have at times paralysed parts of the city, amid running street battles between protesters and police who have responded with tear gas, pepper spray and water cannon.

Several hundred masked protesters converged instead at a metro station in the Tung Chung area adjacent to the airport, chanting slogans and calling police "murderers" amid widespread anger over alleged brutality against demonstrators. Shops at the station were shuttered and riot police stood watch.

Police said three subway stations had to be shut down overnight after protesters thrashed ticket machines, security cameras and turnstiles and damaged fire facilities.

Authorities slammed the behaviour as "outrageous" and vowed to take "resolute enforcement actions."

The protests continue despite Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announcing concessions this week to try to end the protests, including formally scrapping a hugely unpopular extradition bill, which would have allowed extraditions of people to mainland China.

But the demonstrations, which began in June, have broadened into calls for more democracy and many protesters have pledged to fight on.

Additional reporting by agencies.