Students have boycotted

Analysts said it was difficult to predict what might happen next. "The difficulty is that there seems to be no going back for both sides," Surya Deva, a law professor at the City University of Hong Kong, told AFP. "Which side will blink first is difficult to say, but I think protestors will prevail in the long run." Michael DeGolyer, a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, said Hong Kong's thinly-stretched police force were getting weary. "Their hope is that demonstrators will get tired and quit before the police get too worn out to continue. But tempers will start getting short by tomorrow or Wednesday," he said. Students have boycotted classes in the past week, which also saw protesters storm Hong Kong's central government complex, with pro-democracy group Occupy Central on Sunday bringing forward a mass civil disobedience For commuters in the already densely populated and congested city, the ongoing protests brought widespread disruption. More than 200 bus routes were cancelled or diverted as well as large sections of the city's tram networks. The underground railway was operational but exits at several subway stations in key areas were closed. An AFP reporter saw angry confrontations between protestors and frustrated members of the public. The city's stock exchange opened as usual, but sank nearly two percent by late morning as investors fretted about the potential impact the ongoing disruption could have on a key regional market. A total of 41 people had been treated in hospital for injuries sustained during the protests, broadcaster RTHK reported.