Hong Kong anti-government protesters marched through Christmas-decorated shopping malls chanting pro-democracy slogans on Wednesday as police fired tear gas to disperse crowds gathering on nearby streets.

The protests have been largely peaceful for much of December after pro-democracy candidates overwhelmingly won district council elections the month before.

“Confrontation is expected, it doesn’t matter if it’s Christmas,” said Chan, a 28-year-old restaurant worker who was part of a crowd which exchanged insults with police outside a shopping centre in the Mong Kok district.

There were no major clashes, but with impromptu crowds forming to shout abuse at the deeply unpopular officers, who have been accused of using excessive force, police briefly fired tear gas in Mong Kok, a popular protest area.

Hundreds of protesters, dressed in black and wearing face masks, descended on shopping malls around the Chinese-ruled city, shouting popular slogans such as “Liberate Hong Kong! Revolution of our times!”

On Tuesday, at least 25 people were injured after fresh clashes erupted between police and protesters in the city on Christmas Eve.

The government of Hong Kong issued a statement early Wednesday in which it said the acts of the protesters “seriously disrupted social order, affected the festive mood and obstructed other people from enjoying the festive season,” which is described as “outrageous.”

The government also criticized the presence of Hong Kong independence flags in protests, saying that promoting the independence of the Hong Kong ” which belongs to China but retains a measure of autonomy until 2047 ” is unconstitutional and “not conducive to the overall and long-term interest of Hong Kong society.”

Last week, police said that they foiled a second bomb plot in under a week after officers arrested three men allegedly testing home-made devices and chemicals in a secluded area.

Earlier in the month, Hong Kong’s protests are largely leaderless and organised online. They were initially sparked by a now-abandoned attempt to allow extraditions to the mainland but have since morphed into a popular revolt against Beijing’s rule.

In November, China had accused UK human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet of “inappropriate” interference in the country’s affairs, after she called for investigations into alleged excessive use of force by police in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong’s protests started nearly six months ago in June against proposals to allow extradition to mainland China, a move many feared would undermine the city’s judicial independence and endanger dissidents.

The controversial China extradition bill was withdrawn in early September but the movement has morphed into a wider campaign for greater democracy and against alleged police brutality.