Hong Kong Police Detain 23 People on Tiananmen Square Anniversary, Activists Speak Out
Hong Kong police detained 23 individuals on Sunday for “breaching public peace” as security was heightened on the 34th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. The restrictions imposed in Hong Kong have significantly impacted the annual vigils commemorating the bloody crackdown, leading to other cities like Taipei, London, New York, and Berlin taking up the responsibility to keep the memory of June 4 alive.
Near Victoria Park, where the vigils were previously held, hundreds of police officers conducted stop and search operations while deploying armored vehicles and police vans. Witnesses reported seeing over a dozen people being taken away, including activist Alexandra Wong, who carried flowers, and an elderly man holding a candle.
The authorities aim to suppress the memory of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, but activists and participants refuse to forget. Chris To, a 51-year-old visitor to the park, expressed the importance of preserving history and spreading awareness of the event. Hong Kong activists see the police actions as part of China’s broader campaign to stifle dissent in the city, which was promised continued freedoms under the “one country, two systems” model after Britain handed it back in 1997.
This year, Hong Kong has witnessed heightened security measures, with approximately 6,000 police officers deployed, including riot and anti-terrorism units. While senior officials have warned people to abide by the law, it remains unclear whether commemorative activities related to the Tiananmen Square anniversary are illegal under the national security law imposed by China on Hong Kong in 2020.
Police authorities in Hong Kong have stated that some individuals were arrested for seditious intent and breaching public peace. Meanwhile, in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, tourists roamed freely under the watchful eyes of police and security personnel, with no evident signs of increased security.
The Tiananmen Mothers, a group of relatives who lost loved ones in the crackdown, expressed their enduring anguish and pain, stating that the memories of that night continue to torment them. Despite the warnings and restrictions in Hong Kong, some individuals, including bookshop owners, have quietly marked June 4 in their own ways.
Chow Hang-tung, a jailed Hong Kong activist and one of the leaders of The Alliance, a group that previously organized the June 4 vigils, announced a 34-hour hunger strike on Facebook. In mainland China, any mention or discussion of the Tiananmen Square crackdown is strictly censored, and the subject remains taboo.
While the Chinese government has already drawn its conclusions about the events of the late 1980s, democratically governed Taiwan remains the only part of the Chinese-speaking world where the anniversary can be openly commemorated. Hundreds of individuals attended a memorial at Taipei’s Liberty Square, where the “Pillar of Shame” statue was displayed.
Despite the challenges and restrictions, activists and supporters continue their efforts to remember the tragic events of Tiananmen Square and advocate for freedom, democracy, and human rights.