Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying gestures during a news conference at Government House in Hong Kong yesterday.

Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying sought to defuse tension with pro-democracy protesters yesterday, saying he hopes the two sides can talk next week, but anger over police violence and continued street scuffles suggest the students are not about to give up.

Leung was speaking after more than two weeks of pro-tests that have paralysed parts of the city and grabbed global headlines amid scenes of violent clashes and tear gas rising between some of the world’s most valuable office buildings.

The protesters are demanding free elections for their leader in 2017, but Beijing insists on screening candidates first and Leung reiterated that the government was unwilling to compromise.

“We don’t find civil nomination in all Western democracies either,” Leung said when a reporter challenged him on how the talks could progress when he was ruling out any changes to the electoral framework.

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam cancelled talks with student leaders earlier this month, saying it was impossible to have constructive dialogue.

Leung spoke as posters depicting him as a fanged wolf, a gang boss and Hitler stared down from the walls of government headquarters and the Legislative Council building in Admiralty, next to the Central business district, the epicentre of the protest movement against him.

An Occupy Central protester comes out of her tent before sunrise on a main road leading to the financial Central district in Hong Kong yesterday. Photos: Reuters

In the early hours yesterday, police used pepper spray to stop protesters from blocking a major road near Leung’s office amid public anger over the police beating and kicking, captured on video, of a protester a day earlier. At police headquarters in the entertainment district of Wan Chai, hundreds of people gathered outside to express outrage at the beating, with dozens queuing to lodge formal complaints.

Authorities on Wednesday said the officer involved in the beating of Ken Tsang Kin-chiu, a member of the pro-democracy Civic Party, would be suspended.Footage of the beating has gone viral and injected fresh momentum into the protest that had been flagging after nearly three weeks of demonstrations.

Tsang was taken to hospital and activists released photographs showing bruising on his face and body. Several social workers printed a “wanted” poster with colour pictures of the police officers they said were responsible.

“I think the police have betrayed us Hong Kong citizens,” said Tony Yip, 23, a research assistant at a science museum. ­­­