Hong Kong (CNN) -- Hong Kong's leader made it clear on Thursday the pro-democracy protests which have clogged main thoroughfares in the city for almost three weeks cannot continue.
C.Y. Leung told a live press conference on local television that the government was eager to resume talks with the main student group -- the Hong Kong Federation of Students -- as early as next week.
However, he said city's tolerance of mass sit-ins was limited, and that some members of the public were "very discontent."
"We do not want to see anyone, including students, continuing to occupy the roads for a long time and creating conflict with the public who are disgruntled. We don't want to see clashes," he said.
"We cannot allow the situation to continue to have an adverse impact on Hong Kong society."
Growing discontent
At times during the near three-week protest, police have been forced to separate protesters from anti-protest groups intent on tearing down makeshift barricades blocking main roads.
Taxi drivers and business owners have complained that the protests have cost them income -- at one stage early in the protest, a man threatened to jump off a bridge because his child's school had been closed for days.
What protesters want
Protesters want to be able to nominate candidates for the election of the city's chief executive in 2017. Instead, China's National People's Congress (NPC) has said they'll be able to vote from a shortlist approved by Beijing.
Leung said on
Thursday that there is no way Bejing would retract its decision. "We have to implement the 2017 election of the chief executive within the framework set by the NPC," he said.
He said the move to give each Hongkonger a vote was a "big breakthrough, a big step." Currently the chief executive is elected by a specially-appointed 1,200 member election committee.
"I know some people including students feel we can be more ambitious but that's not in accordance with the Basic Law," he said, referring to Hong Kong's mini constitution.