Occupy Central affects banking services in Hong Kong

A total of 44 branches, offices or ATMs of 23 banks have been temporarily closed in Hong Kong's business district, as a result of the Occupy Central protests by student activists.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has issued a list of the affected locations, and has advised customers to call the banks' hotlines or visit their websites to stay posted.

The affected banks include Standard Chartered, Bank of China HK, DBS, and Citibank.

As of September 29, these firms have activated their business continuity plans in a bid to maintain normal operations of their core functions.

The protesters are seeking democratic rights to elect the city's new leader come 2017, in counter to China's announcement that only candidates vetted by it would be allowed to run for the position of chief executive.

Image: Supplied