Schools closed as protests put chokehold on Hong Kong

Protesters ripped up paving stops to block roads near the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. [AFP]

Pro-democracy protesters challenging China's rule of Hong Kong choked the city with barricades and rallies for a fourth straight day Thursday, as the police force drafted in reinforcements and Chinese state media fuelled speculation of a curfew.

The five-month crisis entered a new phase on Monday when hardcore protesters embarked on a campaign to "blossom everywhere" across the international financial hub, in a bid to stretch police resources as thinly as possible.