Hong Kong police have expressed worry that many young people have been arrested in the past week as officers faced off radical protesters across shopping malls in the city.

A total of 34 people consisting of 31 males and three females were taken into police custody over the weekend for offenses, including illegal gathering and assaulting officers. The people arrested are aged between 13 and 50, Chief Superintendent Kwok Ka-chuen told reporters during a media briefing on Monday. He did not specify the number of underage arrests.

Kwok said police had been working with social groups in the past week to provide support to arrestees aged under 18 in a bid to raise their awareness of abiding the law.

The police, meanwhile, urged the public to say no to violence and get Hong Kong back on track, as the protest-troubled city rings in 2020.

Earlier, Hong Kong police gave the green light for a public procession on January 1, 2020, organized by the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), which is expected to start in the afternoon until 10:00 p.m.

Authorities expressed hope that the demonstration could be carried out peacefully.