Police officers use pepper spray against demonstrators during a protest to demand authorities scrap a proposed extradition bill with China, in Hong Kong, China June 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A peaceful mass protest in Hong Kong over an extradition bill descended into violence in the early hours of Monday as several hundred protesters clashed with a similar number of police outside the city’s parliament.

Protesters charged police lines to try to force their way into the Legislative Council building, and police charged back, using pepper spray, after warning the protesters. Some police had tear gas guns ready.

Hours earlier, on Sunday, hundreds of thousands of protesters had marched peacefully through the city to protest against government plans to change laws to allow extradition of suspects to mainland China for the first time.