Clashes began shortly before 6pm when a bridge connecting the Landmark North shopping centre with the MTR station became jammed with people and tempers flared.

Two groups of police officers found themselves surrounded by a large crowd of protesters.

As police vehicles brought in reinforcements to San Wan Road where much of the violence was seen, protesters set up barricades using water barriers and metal fencing.

At one point protesters surrounded four officers and attacked them with umbrellas and metal poles.

Protesters were beaten with batons and pepper sprayed but they outnumbered police, using umbrellas to defend as well as attack.

Dozens of officers retreated into the North District Town Hall. The protesters dispersed when riot police moved in, but then regrouped to start targeting shops around them.

Although most of the stores had closed in advance to avoid trouble, the protesters spent more than an hour blocking off shop fronts with metal railings.

On Lung Sum Avenue, two outlets of Lung Fung Dispensary, the dominant chain in Shek Wu Hui, Sheung Shui, became the first targets.

Senior Superintendent Kong Wing-cheung from the Police Public Relations Branch warned at 7.45pm that officers would soon clear the area as the situation was chaotic and dangerous. He urged local residents to stay at home and called on protesters to disperse.

“Protesters collected a large number of metal poles and other weapons and destroyed nearby railings. They also used water barricades, fences and other objects to block roads,” Kong said.

“We condemn protesters for proactively attacking police officers. Some even attacked us with metal poles and threw an unknown powder, hurting us and reporters.”

When riot police moved in shortly after 8pm to clear the streets, the protesters had already dispersed.

The government issued a statement late at night condemning the protesters involved in the violence while acknowledging that most of the participants in the main rally had been peaceful.

“The government respects members of public expressing views in a peaceful and orderly manner. This shows the preciousness of freedom of speech and the quality of Hongkongers,” the statement read. “But a small portion of protesters always charge violently and cause damage. The government believes that most Hong Kong people do not approve of such illegal behaviour.”

Democratic Party lawmaker Andrew Wan Siu-kin said he witnessed a police officer chasing a young man out of a mall. The young man in desperation was going to jump from a height but was held by a photojournalist and other officers. Witnesses said the young man was taken away by police.

Wan, who was hit on the forehead by a police baton amid the chaos, criticised officers for using excessive force.

About 150 officers had been deployed for the march and another 700 riot police were on standby.

The march had set off at around 3.30pm from North District Sports Ground, passing along eight streets.

Each time marchers passed by a Lung Fung pharmacy, they slowed down and shouted: “Close down!”

“Reclaim Sheung Shui! Add oil, Hongkongers!”

Other protesters took the opportunity to attack pro-establishment district councillors, chanting “Shame on DAB [Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]!”

Leung Kam-shing, convenor of North District Parallel Imports Concern Group, which organised the march, estimated a turnout of 30,000. Police put the figure at 4,000 at the rally’s peak.

“The first ‘reclaim Sheung Shui’ march took place in 2012. Seven years on, we are still marching for it,” Leung said. “What has the government done other than paying lip service, saying it will listen to the people? People will march again if the government continues to turn a blind eye.”

He called on protesters to support another demonstration in Sha Tin on Sunday.

Leung said the number of cosmetics shops and parallel trading outlets in Shek Wu Hui had increased 46 and 16 times respectively in the past six years while the number of pharmacies had doubled.

“In our latest survey carried out in June, we found 143 cosmetics shops, 122 parallel trading shops and 62 pharmacies in Shek Wu Hui,” Leung said. “You can tell how the business model and the economic landscape have changed and how dominant parallel trading has become in Sheung Shui.”

Leung said he hoped the government and the district council would respond to six demands raised by the march, including for officials to liaise with mainland authorities to have the policy of issuing monthly visas for Shenzhen residents to visit Hong Kong cancelled.

“We understand there are both mainlanders and Hongkongers involved in parallel trading,” Leung said. “What we want to oppose is this business. And we believe the visa policy shouldn’t favour people in a particular mainland city.”

About 40 shops along the route march had taken precautions by closing early for the day and public bus routes were diverted ahead of the protest, which was part of a series of continuing actions against the now-suspended extradition bill.

The march to “reclaim Sheung Shui”took advantage of the momentum against the government’s handling of the unpopular bill, which has triggered mass protests and clashes between demonstrators and police in the past month.

Protesters are seeking the complete withdrawal of the bill, which would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to the mainland and other jurisdictions with which the city has no extradition deal.

The Sheung Shui protest organisers accused the government and district council, dominated by the pro-establishment camp, of turning a blind eye to rampant tax evasion by traders, who sell their duty-free stock bought in Hong Kong on the mainland for profit.

It also said the activities had an effect on the community’s commercial landscape, rental levels and public hygiene conditions.

The owner of a Hakka restaurant along the march route prepared more than 500 bottles of water to distribute to those taking part.

“I support them because parallel trading hasn’t benefited Sheung Shui’s economy. Instead it has brought a lot of problems to the community where I was born and bred,” said the owner, surnamed Lee and in his 60s, adding the rent for his restaurant had increased threefold in the past five years.

Two rural leaders, Bowie Hau Chi-keung and celebrated racehorse trainer Brian Kan Ping-chee, were among the crowd, showing rare support for protests.

Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, a district councillor in Sheung Shui, said he joined the march because he agreed with its key demands.

“There wouldn’t be so many people turning up if it was just against parallel trading. It really has to do with the extradition bill,” Lam said before the march.

Meanwhile, ahead of a separate protest in Sha Tin planned for Sunday, a large black banner bearing the words “withdraw the evil law” in Chinese, was floated on the local Shing Mun River by the protest organiser, Sha Tin Commons.