Chinese state media on Tuesday ended its blackout of the Hong Kong protests, broadcasting footage of “serious illegal actions” after a group of demonstrators stormed the parliament building on Monday night.

Censors allowed clips to be shown of the ransacking of the legislature, where protesters smashed through glass barriers before daubing pro-democracy slogans on the walls and displaying a British colonial flag.

The break-in provoked a rare split in the protest movement as some demonstrators said the actions of a few hundred could undermine the peaceful behaviour of millions.

For more than a month protesters have flooded the streets in an attempt to block a proposal that would allow the extradition of suspects to the Chinese mainland, the latest in what they complain are a string of power-grabs by Beijing.

Opposition lawmakers and some protesters questioned if the police deliberately allowed violence to spiral in order to justify a potential crackdown.