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Chinese Authorities Ban Hong Kong Vigil Commemorating Tiananmen Massacre, Arrest Organizer

HeadlineJun 04, 2021

In Hong Kong, police arrested an organizer of the annual candlelight vigil commemorating the June 4, 1989, massacre at Tiananmen Square, which has been banned this year. Thirty-two years ago, the Chinese military attacked a student-led pro-democracy protest in Beijing, killing hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Authorities say the annual vigil was banned due to the pandemic, but activists say it’s just another move by Chinese authorities to crack down on dissent and freedom of speech in Hong Kong.

At the University of Hong Kong, students observed a moment of silence and laid flowers in front of a sculpture honoring the victims of the massacre. This is student union president Charles Kwok.

Charles Kwok: “By holding the event, we hope to commemorate the people who sacrificed for freedom and democracy. And then we hope to defend the historical truth, given that our freedom of speech and the truth is being — our freedom of speech is dwindling.”

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