HONG KONG: Three Hong Kong democracy protest leaders were Saturday turned back at the airport after being denied permission to board a flight to Beijing, where they hoped to bring their demands for political reform to Chinese authorities.

The leaders of the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS), spearheading mass rallies that have paralysed parts of Hong Kong for six weeks, said they were informed by airline officials that their permits used for travel to the mainland had been cancelled by Chinese authorities.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2014