As some protesters chanted slogans at the New Town Plaza shopping mall in Sha Tin, police said they moved in after some "masked rioters" with fire extinguishers vandalised turnstiles and smashed windows at the subway station linked to the mall.

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In two malls in the New Territories in the north, protesters vandalised shops, threw paint and attacked an outlet of Japanese fast food chain Yoshinoya, which has been frequently targeted after its owner voiced support for the Hong Kong police.

At another shopping centre, protesters used umbrellas and cable ties to lock the entrance to prevent police from entering.

Later on Sunday, police stormed the Cityplaza shopping complex on Hong Kong Island after protesters sprayed graffiti at a restaurant. A human chain of dozens of people was broken up and angry shoppers heckled the police.

The protests began in early June over a now-shelved plan to allow extraditions to mainland China, but have since swelled into a movement seeking other demands, including direct elections for Hong Kong's leaders and an independent inquiry into police conduct.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam has refused to budge on the demands. Last month, she invoked emergency powers to ban face masks at rallies, provoking further anger.

Her office said on Sunday that she would head to Beijing on Tuesday.

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Lam is due to hold talks with Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng on Wednesday and join a meeting on the development of the Greater Bay Area that aims to link Hong Kong, Macao and nine other cities in southern China.

The ambitious project will help make it easier for Hong Kong residents to work and reside in mainland Chinese cities, and bolster the flow of people and goods, Lam's office said.

But the plan has sparked concerns over China's growing influence over the territory. Many protesters fear Beijing is infringing on the freedoms guaranteed to Hong Kong when the former British colony returned to Chinese control in 1997.

On Saturday, protesters for the first time attacked the Hong Kong office of China's state-owned Xinhua News Agency, a day after China warned of tightening its grip on the city to quell the unrest.

The attack on Xinhua came after chaos broke out in the city centre, with police firing tear gas and protesters throwing petrol bombs.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association said it deplored "any act of sabotage against the media" and called for an end to violence against the press.

Protesters have frequently targeted Chinese banks and businesses.

AP