Every year since 1989, including the 2020 pandemic year, the Hong Kong people have gathered in Victoria Park to commemorate the June 4 Tiananmen Square massacre. Only after the implementation of Hong Kong’s National Security Law was large-scale gatherings prohibited, forcing the people to mourn the June 4 incident privately.
However, on May 31, 2024, a post on the HongKongers in Leeds (UK) Facebook page revealed that public protest continued. Risking arrest, Hong Kong residents scaled the city’s iconic Lion Rock to hold up illuminated signs marking the 35th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and to support the pro-democracy movement, according to a UK-based exile group.
Hongkongers honor June 4 with illuminated signs
“On the eve of a sensitive date that officials won’t mention, a group of Hong Kongers has scaled the mist-shrouded slopes of Lion Rock to shine glory on the summit,” the Hong Kongers in Leeds group said via its Facebook page, posting photos of lights making up the numbers “6” and “4” to denote June 4, the date of the 1989 bloodshed. Another photo showed hands holding placards with the words “Glory” and “HK” illuminated at the summit of Lion Rock.
The climbers said that the people of Hong Kong will never forget June 4, 1989. The intrinsic value of commemorating the June 4th tragedy is to uphold its memory as a historic vigil and adhere to the values of freedom and democracy.
Since 1990, the people of Hong Kong have been holding a large-scale evening candlelight vigil in Victoria Park on June 4, come rain or shine. This has also become the world’s largest commemoration vigil, witnessing up to 100,000 to 200,000 participants. The candlelight illuminates Victoria Park as a symbol of hope for mainland democracy activists, letting them know they are not alone.
On the eve of June 4, 2021, Zou Xingtong, former Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Support League, wrote an article discussing the significance of commemorating June 4. She said that the annual candlelight vigil is Hong Kong people’s simple persistence in letting the regime know there is a place where people will always adhere to the truth of June 4th.
Unfortunately, the 30-year-old Victoria Park candlelight memorial was extinguished before it began. On the eve of the vigil in 2021, the Hong Kong police sealed off Victoria Park and forbade citizens from mourning, so the world’s largest memorial vigil was forced to be canceled.
At the same time, the Hong Kong government arrested and charged Chairman Lee Cheuk-yan and Vice Chairmen Ho Chun-yan and Chow Hang-tung of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China with inciting subversion of the state’s power. Consequently, the Hong Kong authorities dissolved the alliance and the vigil.
On the eve of June 4, 2024, the Hong Kong government once again took action and arrested seven people – six women and one man. The seven arrested were all related to the commemoration of the Tiananmen massacre. The police said they published seditious posts on a sensitive day approaching, violating Article 23 and Article 24 of the National Security Ordinance.
The Hong Kong people mourned the Tiananmen massacre in other ways in 2024, including the climbers who scaled Lion Rock.
“The people of Hong Kong will never forget June 4, 1989,” one of the sign-holders, who gave only the surname Leung for fear of reprisals, said in the May 31 Facebook post. “Commemorating the Tiananmen massacre is part of our heritage and collective memory.
“Such activities aren’t only about looking back at history, but also about our commitment to the values of freedom and democracy,” the post said.
Leung said the climate of fear under the 2020 National Security Law and the Article 23 security legislation means that “even a careless word can get you into trouble” nowadays if you live in Hong Kong.
“Hong Kong people no longer have freedom from fear,” the post quoted him as saying.
In addition to the words “64” and “Glory HK,” “Glory TW” was also displayed. The climbers sent a message to Taiwan saying that Hong Kong was a prelude and hoped that the people of Taiwan would defend Taiwan’s democracy.
Although the mainland is silent on June 4, candles are lit by people worldwide, letting the Chinese Communist Party know that there is a place where people will always uphold the truth.
Translated by Chua BC and edited by Maria
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