and for more i'm joined now by our correspondent on the ground charlotte chelsea charlotte tell us what's happening where you are. that district council elections like this one rarely attract a huge amount of found say here in hong kong or internationally of course as well but this year has been very different record numbers of people have registered to take part in the vote we've been standing at this polling station most of the day today most of the majority of the day they've been huge crowds lining up to cost their ballots in these district council elections people we've spoken to tell us that they think is that judy is hong kong citizens too to have tests a $2.00 to cost their ballots here and now all eyes of course are on this vote because it's being considered a litmus test a referendum if you like only the authorities here and the pro-democracy movement which is now in its 6 month 6 month people here say that they want to to send a message either for or against those protests through the ballot box here now today by these district council elections so tell us a little bit more wha

charlotte chelsea well welcome charlotte bring us up to date. her well i won't go wrong. while. you can read things a little many things like this unfolding throughout the evening this evening and hannah roadmaster there was a crime that were huge crowds of protesters who have gathered near the university where we are now about half a kilometer away from not you know about one dollar. on bearing walls but not progressing getting more and more tense we were in charge of protesters but i want to bury those students who are currently hold up here inside the unit asking how come the hour is now stuck inside that many of our tempers sparing the. arrested by police theme of several daring attempts by protest to get away some have models to respond but there are focal to be huge numbers of protesters inside but you know that's the reason why the power of some of those students who were gathered are so much comical now that together so knowing 7 for bouncing august very concerned about the loved ones who were inside that university campus one father spoke to us he told us that his son of bottles 7 of the university yesterday and haven't come out yet let's have a listen to what he had. done so we are very very. very about the safety so i am i like to. hear your voice so i like you are denying our request to the government that don't hurt our child. will hurt our case. and charlotte aid from what we're hearing aid sounds like he's right to be worried about their safety we have threats from beijing about the use of live i mean nation but despite this process is appear defiant are we heading for a point of no return. well as you can tell from the honesty of the numbers of protesters who were off behind me out of the out on the. day off the phone they are determined to keep going it is very difficult at this point to see exactly how this situation was going to be deescalated to the taking well those students are still inside the university that of course as you some of the warning came from the police last night that those protesters dropped the weapons police were preparing to use. those protests is that something that's of shock waves across people. on a 1 7 of them social media consultant this now of pomp and life or death situation for them having thought that bulge is also the icing on the part of protests is taking over the last few days we've seen them you th

charlotte chelsea will welcome charlotte bring us up to date. i. was her won't load romar kluger are. when 5 once again we've seen so many things i've been unfolding throughout the evening this evening and am a romance of the woods a garden that were huge crowds of protesters who have gathered near the university rally are now about particle nuts are welcome not you know about sound off. on bearing walls but not progressing getting more and more tense we were in charge of protesters but i want to bury those who are currently hold up here inside. our lives now days now stuck inside that none of us can post very little things. and rescued by police. several daring attempts by party just to get away some models do it but there are local to be huge numbers are part of the inside university we spoke i've observed some of those students who were gathered about 30 or so more come and gone gather together some only 7 for bouncing obviously very concerned about the loved ones who were inside that university campus one father spoke to us he told us that his son of bottles 7 of the university yesterday and haven't come out yet let's have a listen to what you have. got so we are very very very. very about the safety so i am i like to thank you so why so i like you are the among our cash to the government that don't hurt our child. will hurt our case. and charlotte 8 from what we're hearing it sounds like he's right to be worried about their safety we have threats from beijing about the use of live i mean nation but despite this process is appear defiant always heading for a point of no return. well as you can tell from the honesty of the numbers of protesters who were heinie out on the story throughout the day off the phone they are determined to keep going it is very difficult at this point to see exactly how this situation was going to be deescalated to the taking well those students are still inside the university that of course as you saw the warning that came from police last night the last of those protesters dropped the weapons police were prepared to use. those protests is that something that's of shock waves across people. on a one of them social media consultant this now of pomp and life or death situation for them having said that bones is also the icing on the hearts of protests in particular over the last few days we've seen the mu

well for more let's go straight over to our correspondent on the ground for a charlotte chelsea pale great to see you charlotte record turnout already bring us up to date with the latest where you are. yes home that you're joining me now from what is a record breaking district council election this now has the highest turnout of any election in hong kong history and there's still some time the left before these polls close now we have seen throughout the day today huge numbers of people gathering outside this polling station here at one point there were queues lining up way back some people telling us they were queuing for up to 2 hours to pass their ballots now the queues have now gargi dissipated that there is still a steady stream of people coming and going wanting to to voice their opinion this softer rule is the 1st vote that's taken place since this unrest here in hong kong began in june people tell us that this is their opportunity to express best sentiments about this on rest and the way that the government has been handling it is essentially a referendum on this almost 6 months of violent clashes here

correspondent charlotte chelsea impel van outside hong kong's polytechnic university welcome charlotte so how many protesters are still inside. 1st very hard to predict to estimate exactly how many protesters is still inside at the moment the estimates given by a start your own today with fewer than 100 people were left inside since then we've personally witnessed numerous people leaving the university. in handcuffs being taken away by police we've seen roughly 2 dozen some of them as they were being led away by those police officers saying their names one in fact calling out his parents phone number asking people who will be watching on to call his family let them know that he had been arrested it's unclear exactly what is going to happen to those remaining people inside the building they face a choice of leaving and being arrested by police potentially finding a way the skating we know that a number of people have managed to escape over the last couple of days or whether or not they stay inside that building and wait it out the threat though course is that police at some point might