HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong's government reiterated that violence is not the solution after an unapproved march descended into chaos with police firing tear gas and water cannons after demonstrators lobbed Molotov cocktails at government buildings, blocked traffic and set fires.

The government in a statement late Sunday said violence would only harm the community and it was sincerely trying to solve problems.

Anti-government protests have taken place since June and increasingly have been marked by violence and clashes with police. They were sparked by an extradition bill many Hong Kong residents see as an example of the territory's autonomy being eroded under Chinese rule.

The protesters want their demands for greater democracy and police accountability met, and some of them defend violence as necessary since peaceful demonstrations haven't effected change.