But there was an agreement

Hong Kong would maintain a high degree of autonomy

Now that autonomy is under threat and people here are not happy about it

Protesters surround and stormed the government headquarters

Chaos raises a key question will violence ultimately come to define this movement against China's growing influence

This is what we saw

Protests happen here every year on July 1st, but today is different

The street crashes began in the early morning

They followed weeks of protest against an extradition bill

People here fear it would allow China to take anyone accused of a crime back to the mainland and try them under its authoritarian system

The bill has become a symbol of what Hong Konger seen as a threat to their identity and way of life

Through the day tensions built as protesters barricaded the streets

The helmets are to protect our heads from getting beaten by police batons

The cling wrap is to protect our skin from the tear gas and pepper spray.

If you have stuff in your hand and you approach us, then we'll have a clash. It's very simple.

You have batons in your hands.

Riot police responded with batons and pepper spray

Across town we found a different scene hundreds of thousands assembled for a March in 90-degree Summer Sun

As a symbolic act of defiance they tear up records of musicians who appeared at a pro police rally on June 30th

This was not the first time Hong Kongers took to the streets to defend their freedoms against Chinese interference

But for many the massive scale and simultaneous use of force is felt unprecedented

We asked demonstrators how this shift is shaping the future of their city

We would like to make things more peaceful, but none of the police think about it.

Some wouldn't condemn the escalation in violence because they don't want to condemn the movement

No, I only saw the policemen hit the students. I never saw a student hit a policeman.

So you can say they are peaceful demonstrators.

The International image will be ruined towards the end of the day crowds dispersed

But back at the government headquarters the violent standoff continued into the night

Protesters broke down the last gate to the legislature and rushed the building

They painted graffiti on the wall Hong Kong is not China and read out their demands

Calling on officials to step down enact full democratic elections and free detained activists

Riot police approached firing teargas the protesters fled the scene

But their message was clear people here are determined to be hurt at great cost

You