當年今日
關於我們

Hong Kong police to mobilize 7,000 officers to prevent Tiananmen Square rallies

蘋果日報 2021/06/03 19:19


Hong Kong police will deploy up to 7,000 officers across the city on Friday to prevent people from commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, in a move to ban the public from assembling, local media reported on Thursday.
The reported reinforcement came after the police force earlier banned the annual vigil normally held in Victoria Park. Several news reports said that the police would bar public access to certain areas by evoking the Public Order Ordinance.
People wearing black, chanting slogans or holding candles may be seen as participating in an unauthorized assembly, the reports said.
The increase in police presence — up from 3,000 officers — came after an online appeal to participate in a rally on June 4 evening, despite the police ban. Hong Kong police on Thursday urged members of the public via Facebook not to participate in, publicize or announce any unauthorized or prohibited group gatherings, calling on people to avoid assembling to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading.
It’s the second straight year that authorities have banned the public from commemorating the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, when the Beijing government declared martial law and sent in troops to occupy parts of central Beijing, in order to forcibly suppress largely disorganized months-long protests that had asked for political reform, greater accountability of the authorities, freedoms and democracy.
Victoria Park had been barricaded with makeshift barriers on Thursday.
In an interview with RTHK, executive councilor Ronny Tong warned that anyone wearing black on Friday could raise the suspicions of the police.
Although it was not illegal to hold candles to mourn the crackdown, chanting to end or to fight the Chinese Communist Party’s dictatorship could violate the Beijing-imposed national security law, Tong said, urging residents not to test the law.
The United States Consulate General in Hong Kong also issued a “demonstration alert” on Thursday to remind employees to avoid going to Victoria Park and keep a low profile, and described it as the largest mobilization of the local police this year.
Four organizers of last year’s vigil — including prominent activist Joshua Wong — were sentenced to between four and 10 months in jail in May for taking part in an unauthorized assembly. Meanwhile, the trial against the 20 other defendants under the same case, including Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai, was adjourned to Feb. 5 next year.
Click here for Chinese version
Click here for Chinese version
---------------------------------
Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app: bit.ly/2yMMfQE
To download the latest version,
Or search Appledaily in App Store or Google Play