City appears divided on whether protesters went too far with Tuesday night’s occupation of the legislature

As Hong Kong woke up after a night of unprecedented drama, the city was divided on whether protesters who stormed and vandalised the city’s legislature had gone too far in their quest to make their voices heard. Anti-government and anti-police graffiti still adorned pillars and walls as police stood guard while legislators attempted to go about their day.

Two main narratives were emerging after the ransacking of the legislature: one that spoke of hopelessness in the face of semi-authoritarian rule, and another that condemned the destruction of property.

Pro-democracy figures placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of leader Carrie Lam, saying a government that only listens to a pro-Beijing party had driven young people to desperation.

“The protesters who broke into the Legislative Council complex were not rioters. They were not violent,” said activist Joshua Wong, jailed for two months after the 2014 umbrella protests. “They wanted to make the regime hear Hong Kongers’ voice, and they had no other option.

“Perhaps not all of you will agree with every single action they took yesterday. But what are a few pieces of glass worth in comparison to the deaths of three young men and women? What are a few portraits worth in comparison to the very survival of Hong Kong as a place?”

China regards the violent actions of some protesters in Hong Kong as an 'undisguised challenge' to the 'one country, two systems' formula under which the city is ruled, state television reported on Tuesday. A representative of China's Hong Kong affairs office condemned the violence of some protesters, who are angered by a proposed extradition bill, and said Beijing supported the Hong Kong government in holding violent criminals responsible, the report said

• China says violent demonstrations 'totally intolerable'
  
• Hong Kong police fire teargas and charge at protesters
  

Beijing’s liaison office says storming of parliament is ‘an extreme challenge’ to the rule of law

The Chinese government has issued a strong condemnation of protesters who stormed and vandalised the Hong Kong’s legislature late on Monday, calling the act “totally intolerable”.

In a statement carried by the state-run Xinhua news agency, the Chinese government’s liaison office in Hong Kong, its top representative organisation in the city, said it was “shocked, indignant and strongly condemned” the siege of the parliament building, which followed a day of protests against a controversial extradition bill late on Monday.

Police rush at protesters after Legislative Council building was stormed on anniversary of 1997 transition

• Analysis: A personal challenge to Xi Jinping
• Analysis: how China could respond to protests

7.39pm BST

We’re going to end our live coverage now, thanks for reading. Here’s the Guardian’s main news story on today’s events, from Christy Choi and Verna Yu in Hong Kong.

Related: Hong Kong police fire teargas and charge at protesters

7.22pm BST

Police stopped a public bus following the demonstration outside the Legco building, Verna Yu says, reportedly searching for protesters.

They stopped the bus around 1.15am and checked all the passengers. Police scrutinized their ID cards, ordered passengers to remove their masks, and at 1.45am were still searching people. Passengers were made to stand on one side of the bus while the police searched others.

Officers move to disperse crowds after breakaway group stormed parliament building

Hong Kong police have fired teargas at demonstrators and moved to disperse crowds after protesters stormed the legislative council building and raised the territory’s former colonial flag on the 22nd anniversary of its handover to China.

The dramatic scenes came after a peaceful march of half a million people made its way through other parts of the city as its deepest political crisis in two decades showed no sign of abating. For the past month protesters have been demanding the withdrawal of a bill that would allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland as anger has grown against Hong Kong authorities and the territory’s chief executive, Carrie Lam.

Hundreds of protesters have stormed the Hong Kong government building on the anniversary of the city's 1997 return to China, destroying pictures and painting walls with graffiti. More than 1 million people have taken to the streets in protest against planned legislation that would permit extraditions to China

• Hong Kong protesters graffiti walls after storming government building – live

Demonstrators have attempted to storm the legislative building using a metal trolley and poles on the 22nd anniversary of the territory's return to Chinese rule. More than 1 million people have taken to the streets in protest against planned legislation that would permit extraditions to China

• Hong Kong protesters attempt to storm government headquarters – live