Hong Kong's leader declared on Monday that the ongoing pro-democracy protests that obstructed the city's roads for over two months have officially come to an end. Police arrested the last remaining demonstrators for refusing to move from a protest site.

The string of protests began in September after on Aug. 31, Beijing announced a plan to limit the committee that selects candidates to run in the 2017 Hong Kong election. As a result, democratic candidates will be blocked from campaigning since all candidates must undergo a vetting process by the pro-Beijing committee. Critics say the vote will be useless if all the candidates are handpicked by Beijing, and that Chinese government is "encroaching too much on the affairs of Hong Kong, a semiautonomous Chinese territory," reports CNN.

During the demonstrations, tensions between those fighting for democracy and government officials escalated as riot police used tear gas, pepper spray and batons to force protesters to disperse.

On Monday, traffic at the popular Causeway Bay shopping district, which had been taken over by protesters, returned to normal after police officers removed barricades and tents, Chicago Tribune reports. They also arrested over 10 demonstrators, including lawmaker Kenneth Chan, who refused to leave and staged a sit-in.

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying then declared an end to the "illegal occupation activities".

"As the clearance of the occupy site in Causeway Bay finishes, the illegal movement in Hong Kong that has lasted for over two months has come to an end," he told reporters. "People should reflect and conclude on an important topic: What kind of democracy should Hong Kong be looking for?"

Nonetheless, protesters vowed this was not the end of their movement.

"It feels a bit depressed and hopeless, but at the same time this is just the beginning, it's not the end. ... We still haven't got what we wanted. ... It's awakened the Hong Kong people," 18-year-old Otto Ng said, according to BBC News.

Police Commissioner Andy Tsang also announced that during the demonstrations, 955 people were taken into custody, 130 police officers were injured and 221 protesters received medical treatment. Meanwhile, 1,972 people reportedly filed complaints about the police force's handling of the occupy movement, and 75 people have surrendered to police.

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