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Hong Kongers defy ban to carry on with Tiananmen vigil

蘋果日報 2020/06/04 19:42

Tiananmen Square vigil

Tens of thousands in Hong Kong defied police ban and assembled at Victoria Park to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown on the evening of June 4 while countless citizens in other parts of the town echoed organizers’ call to light candles across the city.
The peaceful rally took place just hours after the city’s legislature passed the controversial national anthem law, which outlaws insults against March of the Volunteers, the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China.
The police had earlier banned the event for the first time in history, citing health concerns amid the on-going coronavirus pandemic and social distancing measures. But the move was widely interpreted as the government’s suppression of mass gathering ahead of the Hong Kong version of national security law imposed by Beijing.
Led by veteran pan-democrats of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, organizers of the annual vigil, people wearing face masks broke the barricade and entered Victoria Park to carry on with the tradition that has been going on in the city for the past 30 years.
Organizers did not build a stage this year in light of police opposition but streamed the commemoration programme via the internet. Alliance chair, veteran pan-democrat Lee Cheuk-yan, led the crowd to observe a minute of silence to kick off the night’s event.
“Hong Kong people will not give up. [The police] can say whatever they want, but we will light our candles,” said Lee.
Apple Daily owner Jimmy Lai joined the pan-democrats at Victoria Park. “[We will] carry on. The national security law will arrive soon,” said Lai, who soon left to attend a mass at church. He said he was pleased to see that the vigil was well-attended.
They were joined by young pro-democracy activists such as Joshua Wong and Nathan Law of Demosisto and many young people who previously did not take part in the vigil. Some attendees said they were afraid that this could be the last time they could commemorate the Tiananmen Square bloody crackdown in public because of the looming national security law, which prohibits act and activities of secession, subversion of state power, terrorism activities and foreign interference.
Those who could not attend the rally at Victoria Park were seen lighting candles wherever they were across the city in response to organizers’ earlier call to carry on with the Hong Kong tradition regardless of where they were.
The vigil in Victoria Park ended peacefully. Police officers on duty did not stop people from entering Victoria Park, only warning people of the consequences of taking part in an unauthorized assembly and potentially violating the gathering ban of groups of more than eight. It was reported earlier that 2,000 police officers will be deployed to handle the expected crowd.
The June 4 candlelight vigil has been taking place in Hong Kong since 1990. Last year, the rally saw a record turnout of 180,000, ahead of the now-withdrawn extradition bill.
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【LIVE】31st Vigil for June 4 Massacre 六四31維園燭光集會
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'Five demands, not one less': veteran pan-democrats defied police ban and turned up for Tiananmen Square vigil to commemorate victims of the 1989 crackdown while chanting the Hong Kong protests slogan.
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