Intellectuals who helped trigger pro-democracy protests hand themselves in, with dozens of supporters planning to follow suit

Three leaders of Occupy Central with Peace and Love, the Hong Kong pro-democracy group that helped trigger the Hong Kong protests, have handed themselves in to police after calling for student protesters to retreat.

Law professor Benny Tai turned himself in at on Wednesday afternoon, along with his two co-founders, the Rev Chu Yiu-ming and sociologist Chan Kin-man, according to local media. Dozens of supporters planned to follow suit.

A total of 24 people surrendered for “taking part in an unauthorised assembly”, the Hong Kong government said in a statement. “Police will conduct follow-up investigations based on the information provided,” it said.

The three Occupy leaders were met at the police station by a crowd of supporters shouting: “I want true democracy” while nearby, a small crowd of anti-protest demonstrators shouted: “Rubbish” and: “Go to jail.”

They filled in documents and left without the police filing charges, according to Reuters. While the Hong Kong government has called the protest illegal, it had not issued warrants for the Occupy leaders’ arrest.

The three founders expressed concern that the movement, now in its third month, would end in violence without accomplishing its political aims. The protesters demand a genuine choice among candidates for the city’s 2017 chief executive elections, while Chinese authorities have mandated an electoral framework in which all candidates are screened by a committee of pro-Beijing elites.

While more than 100,000 people turned out for rallies at the protests’ peak this autumn, the numbers of demonstrators have sharply dwindled and public support for the movement has waned. Only a few hundred protesters remain at protest sites in the areas Admiralty and Causeway Bay.

The movement took a violent turn on Sunday night, when police used water cannon, batons and pepper spray to thwart demonstrators’ attempts to “escalate” the movement by surrounding government offices.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest From left: Chu Yiu-ming, Benny Tai, Chan Kin-man and Joseph Zen leave the police station. The men say the surrendered to demonstrate their commitment to the rule of law. Photograph: AFP/Getty

Tai said he did not regret helping to start the movement as it had triggered a political awakening in Hong Kong. “In hindsight, I would still do the same thing,” he told the local broadcaster RTHK on Wednesday morning. “I do not repent for what I have done.”

He emphasised that the movement has been largely nonviolent, and blamed the clashes on excessive police action and the government’s refusal to yield. “A few people took violent action,” he said, according to the South China Morning Post. “But from what we have seen throughout, we set an example to the world already.”

Joshua Wong, the 18-year-old leader of the student group Scholarism – who has been on hunger strike for more than 40 hours with two other group members – has called for protesters to regroup. The three have vowed not to eat until the city’s chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, reopens dialogue with protesters.

“Please do not imagine that violence or delaying tactics can stop us,” Scholarism said on its Facebook page.

“The people are alert with hunger strike, and they will come back to join us eventually. We have to emphasise that the reestablishment of political reform is the government’s task. As the chief executive, you are not allowed to shirk your responsibility. Please agree to talk to us again. Before asking us to stop this painful hunger strike, please ease the pain of all Hong Kong people from [their] illiberal and repressed lives.”