<span style="color: #222222;">In Hong Kong, thousands of pro-democracy protesters defied a police ban on rallying today, a day after several leading activists and lawmakers were arrested in a sweeping crackdown.<br />'' <br />'' Police banned a planned demonstration on security grounds after last weekend saw some of the most violent clashes in three months of political turmoil but nevertheless warned residents to expect severe disruption. <br />'' <br />'' Police erected fresh barricades near the highly guarded Liason Office — the department that represents China's central government — and water cannon were driven onto the streets in anticipation of renewed clashes. <br />'' <br />'' By early afternoon, a few thousand protesters in their signature black t-shirts had filled an outdoor sports ground in the city centre, with some marching through surrounding streets. <br />'' <br />''In an attempt to sidestep the protest ban, crowds carried crosses after calling on protesters to form religious gatherings, which do not require the same stringent permission from authorities.</span>