Hong Kong -- Hong Kong International Airport was calm on Wednesday after a court injunction barred protesters from disrupting the airport for a third day and Beijing escalated its rhetoric against the anti-government demonstrators.

By late Wednesday, there were less than 100 people protesting at the airport. However, security was tight, with travellers required to show travel itineraries to enter the terminal. Police officers were also present in the check-in area.

Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong on Wednesday called the actions of protesters "no different from the atrocities of terrorists" after some demonstrators assaulted two Chinese mainland citizens Tuesday evening and prevented first aid personnel from reaching them.

The statement fuelled some fears that a military intervention could be used to quell weeks of unrest in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday said Hong Kong's rights and rule of law must be respected as she urged both sides to avoid further escalation and pursue dialogue.

"Everything must be done to avoid violence and to find options for a solution through dialogue," Merkel said after a meeting in Berlin with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.

The German government was working to encourage dialogue, "but on the basis of the laws in force in Hong Kong" that ensure freedom of opinion and the rule of law, Merkel said.

The rights of the citizens of Hong Kong, which were guaranteed on the return of the former British colony to China in 1997, should not be put in doubt, Merkel said.

Demonstrators had occupied areas of Hong Kong International Airport for five consecutive days until Tuesday, causing hundreds of flights to be cancelled and culminating in violent scuffles between protesters and riot police.

On Wednesday, some protesters handed out flyers to tourists, apologizing for the travel delays and ensuing tensions between protesters and travellers.

"My standpoint is we should apologize," said Bruce Lee, who was sitting on the ground in the arrivals hall alongside other protesters.

However, Lee said that travellers should be aware of the ongoing tensions resulting from a violent stand-off between undercover police officers and protesters the night before.

"The government does not have any response to us and that's why we needed to take action for other countries and governments to know about [the situation]," Lee said.

Violent clashes erupted late Tuesday when police were called to the airport to rescue an undercover police officer and a reporter from Chinese state news outlet the Global Times, who were both attacked by demonstrators.

The reporter had been tied up and assaulted, and demonstrators prevented first aid personnel from reaching him, the Hong Kong government said.

Police said they arrested five protesters on charges including unlawful assembly, possession of offensive weapons, assaulting police and breaching the peace.

The Beijing-backed Global Times said in an editorial that the protests were a "colour revolution" meant to destabilize the local government and "give the city back to the Western world."

The tabloid condemned the attack on one of its journalists, calling the protesters professionally-trained "rioters."

Separately on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump tweeted that he had seen troop movements near the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border.

“Our Intelligence has informed us that the Chinese Government is moving troops to the Border with Hong Kong. Everyone should be calm and safe!” he tweeted.

China’s military maintains a garrison in Hong Kong and military movements are not uncommon along the border of Shenzhen. They typically occur at night, however, to avoid upsetting civilians.

Protests against a controversial legislative bill that would have allowed for the extradition of suspected criminals to mainland China began on June 9.

Since then, protesters have expanded their demands to include an independent commission into police violence and for universal suffrage in the election of the city's leadership.

While Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997, it has a separate legal system until 2047 under the "one country, two systems" arrangement.

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