HONG KONG: Hong Kong police warned of serious consequences if pro-democracy protesters try to occupy government buildings, as they have threatened to do if the territory’s leader didn’t resign by Thursday.

Tensions mounted ahead of the deadline set by students for the city’s Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to step down — part of broader demonstrations pushing for electoral reforms for the Asian financial center.

Both sides seemed to be losing patience after the weeklong street protests, the biggest challenge.

In a reflection of growing concern in Beijing, China’s ruling party’s spokesperson warned in a commentary Thursday of “chaos” in Hong Kong, and expressed strong support for Leung in his face-off with the protesters, an amorphous movement led mostly by university students.

Late Thursday afternoon, hundreds of young protesters crowded in front of the gate to the territory’s government headquarters, spilling around the sides of the huge building and across the street.