Hong Kong government says riot police withdrawn from protest sites

A protester (C) raises his umbrellas in front of tear gas which was fired by riot police to disperse protesters blocking the main street to the financial Central district outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong, September 28, 2014. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

HONG KONG (Reuters) - The Hong Kong government said on Monday it has withdrawn riot police from city streets after pro-democracy protests began to calm down. In a statement, a Hong Kong government spokesman also called on protesters to leave protest areas as peacefully as possible. Hong Kong police used pepper spray, tear gas and baton charges in an attempt to disperse thousands of pro-democracy protesters in the centre of the global financial hub at the weekend. (Reporting By Twinnie Siu; Editing by Paul Tait)