Hong Kong riot police have been deployed to chase down a group of pro-democracy protesters they say were assembling illegally after the end of a sanctioned march.

The protesters had gathered outside a police station on Saturday evening, shining laser pointers and throwing eggs at officers guarding the entrance.

Riot police formed a line on a nearby street, thumping their batons on their shields as they started marching.

Hong Kong Protests
Pro-democracy protesters walk in a main street in Hong Kong (Kin Cheung/AP)

But by that time, most protesters had already melted away into Hong Kong’s densely populated Mong Kok district, leaving officers to face the anger of local residents, who yelled for them to go home and accused them of being members of crime gangs.

The protesters had taken part in an approved protest march earlier on Saturday, but when it reached the finish they continued, cheered on by supporters honking their horns and raising their fists.

Hong Kong police have previously held similar operations in which they fired tear gas.