Hong Kong Protest Chaos: Hong Kong International Airport on Tuesday witnessed chaotic scenes for the second consecutive day as anti-government protesters staged a disruptive sit-in and paralysed hundreds of flights. The airport also saw police fire pepper spray, and a mainland journalist beaten. Demonstrators defied warnings from the city's leader who said they were heading down a "path of no return", and US President Donald Trump called for calm, saying his intelligence had reported Chinese troop movements toward the Hong Kong border.

Why the protests?

• Hong Kong International Airport - one of the world's busiest airports - has been the site of daily protests since Friday.

• It's been ten-week-long political crisis where millions of people have taken to the streets calling for a halt to sliding freedoms, which was already the biggest challenge to Chinese rule of the semi-autonomous city since its 1997 handover from Britain.

What are the protests about?

• The wider anti-government protests started in June in response to a proposed extradition bill, which has now been suspended, but have evolved into a more demanding pro-democracy movement.

• They are being fuelled by fears that the freedoms Hong Kong enjoys as a special administrative region of China are being eroded.

• According to the bill, it would have allowed people suspected of crimes in the former British colony to be extradited to mainland China to face trial.

• The bill was eventually suspended, but people want the bill fully withdrawn — something Chief Executive Carrie Lam has refused to do.

• The protest movement has grown to a wider call for democracy, with people worried about the erosion of the "one country, two systems" that established certain autonomies for Hong Kong when China took it back from Britain in 1997.

Latest Development

• Flights were departing Hong Kong airport largely on schedule on Wednesday morning, a day after pro-democracy protesters caused chaos with a disruptive sit-in that paralysed the busy transport hub.

• The latest protest led to ugly scenes at one of the world's busiest airports where small groups of hardcore demonstrators turned on two men they accused of being spies or undercover police -- and as desperate travellers pleaded in vain to be allowed onto flights.

• Beijing is sending increasingly ominous signals that the unrest must end, with state-run media showing videos of security forces gathering across the border.

• All check-ins were cancelled on Tuesday afternoon after thousands of protesters wearing their signature black T-shirts made barricades using luggage trolleys to prevent passengers from passing through security gates.

• Scuffles broke out between protesters and travellers who pleaded to be allowed past.

• Vigilantism also broke out when crowds turned on two men suspected of being interlopers.

• Police recently disguised themselves as activists to make arrests, a move which has sent paranoia soaring about potential infiltrators.

• On Tuesday morning, the city's leader, Carrie Lam, gave an at-times emotional press conference in which she warned of dangerous consequences if escalating violence was not curbed.

Trump confirms China moving troops to Hong Kong border

US intelligence has confirmed that China is moving troops to the border with Hong Kong, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday, appealing for calm amid intensifying pro-democracy protests in the semi-autonomous financial hub.

Trump relayed the intelligence report in a tweet as protesters paralyzed Hong Kong airport for a second day in defiance of the city's leaders.

"Our Intelligence has informed us that the Chinese Government is moving troops to the Border with Hong Kong. Everyone should be calm and safe!" Trump said in a tweet.

(with inputs from agencies)