EU urges 'restraint' in Hong Kong protests

The European Union on Monday urged anti-government protesters in Hong Kong to use restraint and avoid escalation.

The appeal came as anti-government protesters seized the Hong Kong parliament's main debating chamber late Monday.

These actions are "not representative of the vast majority of demonstrators, who have been peaceful throughout successive protests," the EU's diplomatic arm said.

"In the wake of these incidents, it is all the more important to exercise restraint, avoiding escalatory responses, and to engage in dialogue and consultation to find a way forward," a statement said.

After storming the parliament on Monday, the protesters daubed the chamber's walls with graffiti and fixed a British colonial-era flag to the main podium, an AFP reporter on the scene said.

Hong Kong has been rocked by the worst political unrest since its 1997 handover from Britain to China.

Millions marched last month to oppose a hugely unpopular proposed law that would have allowed extraditions to the Chinese mainland.