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Hong Kong police reclaimed swaths of an area occupied by pro-democracy protesters on Monday morning after hours of intense clashes which led to scores of injuries and arrests, the Guardian reported. 

The clashes were perhaps the most violent since the movement began two months ago. Police baton charges left some protesters prostrate and bleeding, while volleys of pepper spray left others vomiting and temporarily blind. At least 40 people were arrested and 40 taken to hospital; one officer was knocked out cold in a scuffle and taken away on a stretcher.

The police action began at about 8am local time (midnight GMT) when officers took a flyover above the protest encampment, removed a line of hanging pro-democracy banners, and cheered loudly to celebrate their advance.

The Hong Kong chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, on Monday said police would now take “resolute action,” adding: “Some people have mistaken the police’s tolerance for weakness.” He urged students not to return to occupation sites, but did not respond when asked by reporters whether police would clear the sites on Monday night.