Thousands of chanting Hong Kong protesters joined hands to form human chains in a peaceful protest, with almost three months of anti-Government demonstrations showing no sign of letting up across the Chinese-ruled territory.

Key points: Hong Kong protesters recreated the "Baltic Way" exactly 30 years after it occurred

Hong Kong protesters recreated the "Baltic Way" exactly 30 years after it occurred The protest was peaceful and was concluded at 9:00pm, Hong Kong time

The protest was peaceful and was concluded at 9:00pm, Hong Kong time Protesters are now planning a 'stress test' of the airport

Demonstrators, including families with young children and older citizens, linked hands across different districts as others held up banners thanking overseas nations for supporting "freedom and democracy" in Hong Kong.

Their move echoed the one on August 23, 1989, when an estimated 2 million people joined arms across the three Baltic states in a protest against Soviet rule that became known as the Baltic Way or Baltic Chain.

Demonstrators have taken to the streets of Hong Kong in defiance of Communist Party leaders in Beijing. ( ABC News: Brant Cumming )

"I joined the Hong Kong Way because it's peaceful," protester Peter Cheung, 27, said.

"This is the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Way. I hope there will be a bigger chance to make an international noise."

The protest, which included dozens shining lights from the top of Kowloon's Lion Rock, visible from the main island of Hong Kong, showed the apparent defiance of Hong Kong people after warnings from Communist Party leaders in Beijing and Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam about violence.

Police presence was thin and the protest ended promptly at 9:00pm, Hong Kong time.

The protest showed the apparent defiance of Hong Kong people after warnings from Communist Party leaders in Beijing and Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam about violence. ( ABC: Brant Cumming/Hong Kong )

Airport 'stress test' planned

But protesters are also planning a "stress test" of the airport this weekend and some were making their way from the nearby suburban town of Tung Chung on Friday night.

Hong Kong's High Court on Friday said it was extending an order requiring public demonstrations to have the permission of authorities, with an aim to ban "those who want to deliberately obstruct or interfere with the normal use of the airport".

So in response, activists plan to disrupt transport to the international airport by all heading there at the same time this weekend.

"Go to the airport by different means, including MTR, airport bus, taxi, bike and private car to increase pressure on airport transport," protest organisers wrote online on Friday.

The protests, triggered by a now-suspended bill that would have allowed extraditions to China, have plunged the former British colony into its worst crisis since its return to China in 1997 and pose a major challenge for Beijing.

Hong Kong protesters gather with signs calling for liberation. ( ABC: Brant Cumming/ Hong Kong )

The unrest has widened into calls for greater freedom, fuelled by worries about the erosion of rights guaranteed under the "one country, two systems" formula, adopted after the 1997 handover, such as an independent judiciary and the right to protest.

The airport, reached by a gleaming suspension bridge carrying both rail and road traffic, was forced to close last week when protesters, barricading passageways with luggage trolleys, metal barriers and other objects, clashed with police.

China's Hong Kong affairs office condemned the mayhem as "near-terrorist acts".

Some activists apologised for last week's airport turmoil, which resulted in more than 200 flights being cancelled.

Hong Kong protesters sit inside railway station while wearing items that hide their faces from being recognised. ( ABC: Brant Cumming/ Hong Kong )

Consulate stops staff from visiting mainland

The Canadian consulate said it had suspended travel to mainland China for local staff, just days after a Chinese employee of the city's British consulate was confirmed to have been detained in China.

Simon Cheng Man-kit was released on Saturday as scheduled after 15 days of administrative detention, according to public security authorities in Shenzen.

The Luohu public security bureau in Shenzhen, the mainland city neighbouring Hong Kong, made the announcement on its Weibo microblog account.

Mr Cheng was detained for violating mainland Chinese law and "confessed to his illegal acts," the statement said, without providing further details.

"Simon is released. Simon is safe," said Max Chung, organiser of a rally earlier this week to urge the British Government to step up efforts to free Mr Cheng.

Canada's latest travel advisory on Thursday warned of reports of increased screening of travellers' digital devices at border crossings between mainland China and Hong Kong.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Canada's decision not to allow local staff to visit the mainland was one for Canada, which it respected.

If people came to China and followed the law, they would have no problems, he said.

"But if you have a hidden aim, and are hatching a sinister plot, then I fear in China you need to be in a state of apprehension and extra careful."

The Foreign Correspondents Club of China said it had received multiple reports of Chinese border officials detaining journalists and searching their digital devices when travelling between the mainland and Hong Kong.

Protests impacting visitor numbers

The protests are taking a toll on Hong Kong's economy and tourism, with the special administrative region on the cusp of its first recession in a decade.

Transport Secretary Frank Chan said airport passenger volume from August 1 to 21 was down 11 per cent from the same period last year, with cargo volume down 14 per cent.

The protests are taking a toll on Hong Kong's economy and tourism, with the special administrative region on the cusp of its first recession in a decade. ( ABC: Brant Cumming/ Hong Kong )

Commerce Secretary Edward Yau said visitor arrivals started to fall in mid-July. Between August 15 and 20, arrivals were down 49.6 per cent on the corresponding 2018 period.

"It was the fastest and steepest drop in recent years, and the situation is obviously very worrisome," he told reporters.

The protests have led to corporate casualties, most dramatically at the Cathay Pacific airline, amid mounting Chinese scrutiny of the involvement of some of its staff in protests.

Cathay confirmed on Friday that Rebecca Sy, the head of Cathay Dragon's Airlines Flight Attendants' Association, was no longer with the company.

Her departure follows the shock resignation of Cathay chief executive Rupert Hogg last week.

Demonstrators have five demands: withdraw the extradition bill, set up an independent inquiry into the protests and perceived police brutality, stop describing the protests as "rioting", waive charges against those arrested and resume political reform.

Beijing has sent a clear warning that forceful intervention is possible, with paramilitary forces holding drills just over the border.

Thousands of protesters joined the peaceful demonstration. ( ABC News: Brant Cummings )

Reuters/AP