A few hundred protesters stood their ground Thursday night on an overpass leading to the city's Legislative Council, the access to which was blocked by police.

Demonstrators, who were overwhelmingly young, faced police while chanting a religious song and holding up signs with messages such as "Stop shooting people" and "No to extradition law."

The council remained closed as debate on a controversial bill that would allow extraditions to mainland China was put on hold for another day.

The protesters' attention turned to the authorities' use of tear gas and rubber bullets on the crowd on Wednesday. Eighty-one protesters were injured, according to medical authorities.

"We are really outraged about [the police reaction]," said Mimi Liu, a 25-year-old communications professional.

"Many protesters were even younger than me. Some people were just throwing water bottles, umbrellas. It wasn't really dangerous."

The Civil Human Rights Front, a pro-democracy coalition that acts as the unofficial organizer of the protests, said demonstrations would continue on Sunday and Monday.

Protesters are condemning the police's use of force and demanding that the government withdraw the bill and that Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam step down, CHRF said.

Eleven protesters were arrested and 22 police officers were injured on Wednesday, said Hong Kong Police Commissioner Lo Wai-chung during a press conference.

"We had no choice but to escalate the use of force," Lo said.

Lo said, however, that Hong Kong would not seek the Chinese army's assistance in dealing with the protests.

The European Union issued a statement Thursday calling for Hong Kong to respect the rights of protesters.

The EU said it "shares many of the concerns raised by the citizens of Hong Kong" about the extradition bill and what it could mean for the city's future rule.

"This is a sensitive issue, with potentially far-reaching consequences for Hong Kong and its people."

China shot back at the EU's remarks, urging the group of countries to be "cautious" about interfering in China's internal affairs.

Despite Wednesday's protests and a march on Sunday that drew an estimated one million people - around one in seven people in the semi-autonomous city - Lam has vowed to pass the bill before the legislature's summer recess.

The extradition bill would allow for Hong Kong to send criminal suspects to countries where it lacks a long term agreement, including China.

Critics and protesters say the measure reflects Beijing's increasing interference in the semi-autonomous territory and could be used to crack down on political freedoms.

Hong Kong, a British colony until 1997, is a special administrative region of China until 2047.

Australian Associated Press