Will they stay or will they go?

A clearance order could mark the beginning of the end of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests that have choked the financial city for over two months.

Posted at the main occupation site in the Admiralty district, it follows an injunction obtained by a local bus company.

Demonstrators are being warned to pack up and get out by 9am on Thursday morning.

On Tuesday, as the notice was displayed by bailiffs at the site – home to government offices and next to the main Central business district – there was an air of resignation.

“Maybe the movement has dragged on too long,” said social worker Esther Yau.

“As a normal citizen, I am thinking: ‘What more can we do? Should we stay here forever?’ If we want to move forward, we need to stop for a while and change strategy.”

“If you ask what concrete results we have achieved, I would say ‘zero’. We can see that both the Hong Kong government and the Chinese central government have made no concessions,” said transport worker Carlos Cheung.

“The students have lowered their demands since the start of the movement. The students who have been on hunger strike are only asking for a meeting but even that demand is rejected.”

At their peak, the rallies drew more than 100,000 people, but their number has dwindled and now there are only dozens left.

Protesters have been calling for free elections for Hong Kong’s next leader in 2017 rather than the vote between pre-screened candidates that Beijing has said it will allow.