Hong Kong police have arrested multiple pro-democracy activists, including 67-year-old Alexandra Wong, through the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Public commemorations of the tragedy have been banned, although candlelight vigils have taken place in other cities globally. Despite the ban, several people were detained in Hong Kong, together with the chief of a major opposition celebration and a former head of the Hong Kong Journalists Association.
For years, Hong Kong was the one Chinese city where commemorations of the bloodbath had been permitted under the “one country, two systems” association. However, the Chinese authorities imposed a strict national safety legislation in 2020, successfully outlawing many forms of dissent. Consequently, Minutes marking the anniversary have been banned since 2019, initially beneath Hong Kong’s Covid laws. This yr, a pro-Beijing carnival is happening in Victoria Park instead.
Police deployed 1000’s of officers across the city, stopping and questioning people whereas looking them. Armoured automobiles have been stationed in key areas as a show of force. In anticipation of protests, the city’s authorities also removed books on the Tiananmen crackdown from public libraries.
Candlelight vigils were held worldwide on Sunday to remember these killed by the Chinese army in response to the crackdown. In Taiwan, tons of of people gathered to mark the anniversary, chanting “fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong” and organising a duplicate of the “Pillar of Shame” statue that was removed in 2021..