After night of clashes, Hong Kong braces for fresh rally

Protesters gathered at a sports stadium Sunday as Hong Kong braced for more anti-government rallies, a day after clashes returned to the city's streets following several days of relative calm.

Hong Kong has been gripped by three months of street demonstrations that started against a proposed extradition bill to China, but have spun out into a wider pro-democracy movement.

Beijing has used a mix of intimidation, propaganda and economic muscle to constrict the protests in a strategy dubbed "white terror" by the movement.

The MTR -- the city's metro -- is the latest Hong Kong business to be rebuked by the public, after appearing to bend to Chinese state-media attacks accusing the transport system of being an "exclusive" service to ferry protesters to rallies.

On Sunday the MTR said it would close stations near the main demonstration area in Tsun Wan, the second day of station closures in a row.

A second rally of a few hundred, some of them relatives of police, was also held on Sunday afternoon.

One relative, who said she was the wife of an officer, said they had received enough criticism.

"I believe within these two months, police have got enough opprobrium."