The raid involved an estimated 100 police officers who targeted an area across Victoria Harbor from the main demonstration site in the city's financial district. Police in the busy Mong Kok district surrounded about 30 protesters who left the area without resisting.
One of the protesters, 23-year-old Eric Lau, said he had no desire to fight with authorities.
"We come here peacefully, and we don't want to fight against any parties, including the police and so on. It's a bit powerless, I think," said Lau.
The raid was the third such police action to unblock city streets since late September, when protesters occupied the city's center to press China to stop interfering in upcoming local elections.
On Wednesday, hundreds of police - some wielding clubs and pepper spray - pushed back protesters battling for control of a road near city government headquarters.
Video footage showed plain clothed officers dragging a handcuffed protester into the darkened entrance of a building, where they repeatedly kicked and punched him for four minutes. The video sparked a late evening protest in front of police headquarters.
Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying on Thursday said he was exploring ways to resume talks with protest leaders. He said an intermediary was helping arrange for new talks, which could be held as early as next week.
The government agreed earlier this month to hold talks, but backed out after student leaders vowed to expand their protests, which the government views as illegal.
Leung has said he is open to discussing universal suffrage, but communist authorities in Beijing say they will not change a decision to vet candidates for the territory's 2017 vote or enact further electoral reforms.
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