Hong Kong's legal and banking community is facing potential disruption this week due to mass pro-democracy protests taking place in the city's central business district and surrounding areas.

The Hong Kong monetary authority (HKMA) issued a statement today (29 September) to say some 29 branches, offices or ATMs of 17 banks had been temporarily closed and forced to activate business continuity plans.

Those affected include HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of China. However, the city's de facto Central Bank said the Hong Kong interbank markets and currency board mechanism would continue to function normally.

Travel has also been disrupted in the former British colony, with entrances to MTR stations in Admiralty, Central and Causeway Bay stations – where the city's international law firms are based – also temporarily closed. Meetings of the city's Legislative Council committees have been re-scheduled.

DLA's head of employment said the situation would likely raise practical issues for business management HR teams this week with the looming public holidays.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Clifford Chance said the firm would be keeping a close watch on the situation:

"Our Hong Kong office is operating as usual, however we continue to monitor the situation as the safety of our employees is our top priority. Clifford Chance has a business continuity plan in place for all of its offices around the globe to ensure that clients will continue to be serviced during a crisis as seamlessly as possible."

The disruption follows an announcement by the city's pro-democracy group over the weekend that Occupy Central – a long-planned civil disobedience campaign – had formally begun.

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in the city's core business and financial centre in the hopes of pressuring the government to introduce 'true' democracy in the special administrative region.

It is thought to be the worst political unrest in years after police used tear gas against demonstrators.

Earlier this year the city's legal community was dragged into the debate when a vote of no confidence was passed against Law Society president Ambrose Lam following comments he made in June in support a controversial Beijing white paper.