A pro-democracy supporter holds a placard in front of policemen at an area blocked by pro-democracy protesters outside the PLA headquarters in Hong Kong

A pro-democracy supporter holds a placard in front of policemen at an area blocked by pro-democracy protesters outside the PLA headquarters in Hong Kong, December 11, 2014. Hong Kong authorities started on Thursday clearing the main pro-democracy protest site that has choked roads into the city’s most economically and politically important district for more than two months as part of a campaign to demand free elections. The Chinese characters on the banner reads “Pure petitioners are treated as mobsters. ” REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha (CHINA – Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS BUSINESS)