As violent protest and skirmishes continue in Hong Kong for the second day straight following a pro-democracy march, a video has emerged showing police officers pointing guns at the crowd in a bid to scare them.

Footage posted on a number of social media sites appears to show police kicking an unarmed civilian. Protesters also said that a shot was also fired, although The Independent was unable to verify these claims.

“Hong Kong police kicked an unarmed civilian who is kneeled ... Drew the pistol to the civilians and journalists and fired one shot to the sky,” a spokesperson from Free Hong Kong wrote on Twitter.

Footage posted online shows protesters chasing police with sticks and umbrellas before the sound of what could be a gunshot is heard.

Prior to the skirmishes, tens of thousands of umbrella-carrying protesters marched in the rain in Hong Kong’s latest pro-democracy demonstration.

Footage posted on a number of social media sites appears to show police kicking an unarmed civilian (SocREC)

Many filled Tsuen Wan Park, the endpoint of the rally, chanting, “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong”, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported.

The march started near the Kwai Fong railway station, which has become a focal point for protesters after police used tear gas in the station earlier this month. Police with riot gear could be seen moving into position along the march route.

While a large crowd rallied in a nearby park, another group of protesters took over a main street, strewing bamboo poles on the pavement and lining up orange and white traffic barriers and cones to try to obstruct the police.

After hoisting warning flags, police used tear gas to try to disperse the crowd. They also brought out water cannon trucks for the first time in the summer-long protests. Protesters responded by throwing bricks and petrol bombs towards the police.

Rory Wong, a protester who witnessed the clash, said: “The escalation you’re seeing now is just a product of our government’s indifference towards the people of Hong Kong.”

Protesters have taken to the semi-autonomous Chinese territory’s streets for more than two months. Their demands include democratic elections and an investigation into police use of force to quell the protests.

Throughout the summer of protest tear gas has been used by officers, with some firing from office blocks to disperse crowds. Hong Kong resident Dong Wong said: “I live on the 15th floor and I can even smell it at home,”.

“I have four dogs, sneezing, sneezing all day ... The protesters didn’t do anything, they just blocked the road to protect themselves.”

Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Show all 35 1 /35 Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Police officers point their guns towards pro-democracy protesters after a clash at a march in Hong Kong on August 25 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Pro-democracy protesters throw molotov cocktails during clashes with riot police in Hong Kong on August 25 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Demonstrators rally behind barricades ass they are shrouded in tear gas deployed by police in Hong Kong on August 25 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Police clash withpro-democracy protesters at a march in Hong Kong on August 25 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures A police officer prepares to strike a protester as clashes erupt during a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong on August 24 AFP/Getty Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures A water cannon is fired by riot police to clear the street of demonstrators during a protest in Hong Kong on August 25 EPA Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Pro-democracy protesters use a slingshot during clashes with riot police in Hong Kong on August 25 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Riot police fire tear gas to disperse pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong on August 24 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures A demonstrator throws a molotov cocktail as they clash with riot police during a protest in Hong Kong on August 25 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures A demonstrator swings a tennis racket in an attempt to knock back a tear gas cannister thrown by riot police during a protest in Hong Kong on August 25 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures A protester displays a Hong Kong Independence flag during a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong on August 24 EPA Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Riot police tend to a detained demonstrator who has been injured during a protest in Hong Kong on August 25 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures A demonstrator uses bamboo poles to build a barricade during a protest in Hong Kong on August 25 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Riot police clash with demonstrators during a protest in Hong Kong on August 24 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Protesters are hit by tear gas fired by the police in Hong Kong on August 24 AFP/Getty Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Demonstrators shrouded in tear gas shield themselves behind barricades during a clash with riot police in Hong Kong on August 25 Getty Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Riot police arrest a protester during a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong on August 24 EPA Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Police clash with pro-democracy protesters at the Hong Kong international airport on August 13 AFP/Getty Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Protesters fall back as they clash with police during a protest at Kowloon Bay in Hong Kong on August 24 AFP/Getty Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Police clash with pro-democracy protesters at the Hong Kong international airport on August 13 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Riot police move to disperse protesters during a clash at the Hong Kong international airport on August 13 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Commuters riding in a bus drive past protesters in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay on August 24 AFP/Getty Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Protester hold umbrellas as they take part in a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong on August 24 EPA Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Riot police detain a demonstrator as they clash during a protest in Hong Kong on August 24 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Pro-democracy protesters block the entrance to the airport terminals after clashes with police at the Hong Kong international airport on August 13 AFP/Getty Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Riot police spray pepper spray as shield themselves by a police van during a clash with pro-democracy protesters at the Hong Kong international airport on August 13 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Riot police use pepper spray to disperse protesters during a demonstration at the Hong Kong international airport on August 13 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Demonstrators shrouded in tear gas shield themselves behind barricades during a clash with riot police in Hong Kong on August 25 Reuters Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Medical professionals gather to protest police brutality at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong on August 13 Getty Images Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Police detain a pro-democracy protester at the Hong Kong international airport on August 13 AFP/Getty Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures A protester is halted by police during an occupation at the Hong Kong international airport on August 13 AP Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Police clash with pro-democracy protesters at the Hong Kong international airport on August 13 AFP/Getty Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Police stand guard at the entrance of the departure terminals at the Hong Kong international airport on August 13 AFP/Getty Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Protesters continue their occupation at the Hong Kong international airport on August 14 AP Continuing protests rock Hong Kong: In pictures Travellers read placards and posters left by pro-democracy protesters at the Hong Kong international airport on August 14 AP

A large group clashed with police on Saturday after a march in the Kowloon Bay neighbourhood, building barricades and setting fires in the streets.

Police said they arrested 29 people, ranging from 17 to 52 years old, for various offences, including unlawful assembly, possession of offensive weapons and assaulting police officers.

The clashes, while not as prolonged or violent as some earlier ones, ended a brief lull in the violence. The protests had been largely peaceful the previous weekend, after weeks of escalating violence.

Protesters in Hong Kong have demanded that the city’s leader, Carrie Lam, step down, although that demand has evolved into a broader call for fully democratic elections.

M Sung, a 53-year-old software engineer in a black mask emblematic of the many older, middle-class citizens at the march, said he had been at almost every protest and would keep coming.

“We know this is the last chance to fight for ‘one country, two systems’, otherwise the Chinese Communist Party will penetrate our home city and control everything,” he said.

“If we keep a strong mind, we can sustain this movement for justice and democracy. It won’t die,” Mr Sung said.

Protesters say they are fighting the erosion of the “one country, two systems” arrangement under which Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 with the promise of continued freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland for 50 years.

Police and protesters clash in Hong Kong as tear gas and bricks are thrown

The protests, which started over a now-suspended extradition bill, have rocked Hong Kong for three months and plunged the city into its biggest political crisis since the handover.

They also pose a direct challenge for Communist Party leaders in Beijing, who are eager to quell the unrest ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Police said they strongly condemned protesters “breaching public peace” and that 19 men and 10 women had been arrested after Saturday’s violence. More than 700 have been arrested since the demonstrations began in June.

The neighbouring gambling territory of Macau, a former Portuguese colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1999, elected former legislature head Ho Iat Seng as its leader on Sunday – the sole approved candidate.

Mr Ho, who has deep ties to China, is expected to cement Beijing’s control over the “special administrative region”, the same status given to Hong Kong, and distance it from the unrest there.