Protesters in Hong Kong took their message to a new audience on Sunday – mainland Chinese tourists – as coverage of the anti-government movement has been heavily censored by Beijing authorities.

Thousands marched peacefully through popular tourist areas, snarling traffic in main thoroughfares, in the first major demonstration since Monday, when a small group of protesters seized the city’s legislature.

A travelling band sang songs and hit drums, lifting spirits along the roughly two-mile route, and chanting slogans: “Hong Kong people, add oil!” .

Organisers said about 230,000 turned out for the protests, though police said the turnout was 56,000 at its peak. Police arrested six people during the demonstration.

Many chatted with mainland Chinese tourists, explaining freedoms enjoyed in Hong Kong, a former colony whose freedoms are guaranteed in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, an agreement that went into effect when the British handed the territory back to Beijing.

Others detailed why controversy erupted over an extradition proposal that would send suspects to face trial in China, where the ruling Communist Party largely controls the courts.

State media coverage of the protests that have roiled Hong Kong for a month – ending in police spraying tear gas and firing rubber bullets – has been heavily restricted in China, largely focused on condemning demonstrators for engaging in violent clashes with the police.