Tiananmen Square: Hong Kong police detain activists on anniversary of massacre

Police successful Hong Kong person detained respective pro-democracy activists connected the day of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Authorities person banned nationalist commemoration of the 1989 incident, which saw China crush peaceful protests successful Beijing with tanks and troops.

However, candlelight vigils person been taking spot successful different cities worldwide.

Among those detained was 67-year-old Alexandra Wong, a salient campaigner nicknamed "Grandma Wong".

Amid a tense evening successful Hong Kong, she was arrested portion carrying flowers adjacent Victoria Park, wherever vigils had been held for decades.

The person of 1 of Hong Kong's main absorption parties was among those arrested. Chan Po Ying, a seasoned pro-democracy activistic who heads the League of Social Democrats party, was holding an LED candle and 2 flowers.

Mak Yin Ting, erstwhile caput of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, was besides detained and subsequently released. Police aboriginal said they had made 1 apprehension and taken 23 radical to constabulary stations for investigation.

Events to people the 1989 massacre successful Beijing are banned successful mainland China.

For decades, Hong Kong was the lone Chinese metropolis wherever these commemorations were allowed, nether the city's semi-autonomous economic, governmental and ineligible acceptable up - known arsenic "one country, 2 systems" - established erstwhile the metropolis handed implicit to China by the UK successful 1997.

The yearly commemorations person not been held since 2019, aft being initially banned nether Hong Kong's Covid regulations.

This year, a pro-Beijing carnival is being held successful Victoria Park instead.

Ms Wong was rapidly surrounded by constabulary and driven distant connected Sunday successful the city's Causeway Bay area.

Nearby Victoria Park has hosted yearly candlelit vigils to people Tiananmen Square since 1990, often drafting tens of thousands of radical to people the day, known arsenic June Fourth successful overmuch of China.

Hong Kong Police person deployed thousands of officers astatine cardinal sites successful the city, stopping radical to hunt and question them.

Officers acceptable up booths extracurricular the metro presumption adjacent Victoria Park to hunt passers-by, including journalists.

Two Chinese-made "Sabre-tooth Tiger" armoured vehicles person besides beryllium stationed successful the country successful what appears to beryllium a amusement of unit by police.

Ahead of anticipated protests, the city's authorities has besides removed books connected the Tiananmen crackdown from nationalist libraries.

One of those detained was a pistillate who shouted "Raise candles! Mourn 64!" portion different was a antheral carrying a publication with the rubric "May 35th" - some references to the 4 June day of the killings.

Others person been detained portion holding unlit candles oregon wearing yellowish clothing, the colour of the now-dismantled pro-democracy movement.

On Saturday, 4 radical were arrested connected suspicion of disturbing bid successful a nationalist spot oregon acting with seditious intent - some caller offences nether the arguable 2020 law.

Dozens of candlelight vigils person been taking spot astir the satellite connected Sunday to retrieve those killed by the Chinese subject successful effect to the crackdown.

In Taiwan, the democratic, self-governing land China claims arsenic its territory and has vowed to instrumentality power of by unit if necessary, hundreds of radical gathered to people the anniversary.

Chants of "fight for freedom, basal with Hong Kong" were heard from the crowds successful the capital, Taipei, who had acceptable up a replica of the "Pillar of Shame" - a celebrated statue astatine the University of Hong Kong commemorating the dormant astatine Tiananmen Square that was removed successful 2021.

Many progressive besides anticipation the vigils volition proceed the tone of Hong Kong's once-vibrant civilian nine and governmental community, which has present mostly fallen soundless due to the fact that truthful galore person been imprisoned nether the nationalist information law, oregon person near Hong Kong altogether.

The Tiananmen Square protests successful Beijing became the absorption for nationalist demonstrations calling for greater governmental freedoms successful 1989.

Thousands of radical - the bulk of which were students - camped for weeks successful the iconic Beijing quadrate earlier the subject moved successful connected 4 June and opened fire.

One unidentified protester became an planetary awesome of protestation for blocking an advancing file of tanks successful footage that was seen astir the world.

The Chinese authorities says 200 civilians and respective twelve information unit died. Other estimates person ranged from hundreds to arsenic galore arsenic 10,000.

The actions of the authorities person been seen by activists arsenic portion of China's broader docket to snuff retired governmental dissent successful Hong Kong.