Thousands defy restriction to participate in Tiananmen vigil in HK

Thousands of demonstrators in Hong Kong have defied a restriction to stage a mass vigil in memory of the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing.

Officers put up barricades around the city’s Victoria Park, however some pro-democracy protesters knocked them down and held candlelit gatherings.

Police banned the vigil this year, pointing out coronavirus procedures.

Previously, legislators approved a controversial costs making it a criminal offense to insult China’s nationwide anthem.

Ahead of the vote, two lawmakers were removed by security personnel after tossing a foul-smelling liquid on to the chamber flooring.

They said they were opposing against China’s growing control over Hong Kong, and likewise marking the Tiananmen Square anniversary.

The most recent events come as the Chinese government is drawing up a new security law for Hong Kong, a move that threatens to raise tensions even further.

Why was the Tiananmen vigil banned?

Hong Kong and Macau are the only parts of China that have been permitted to mark the killings.

A yearly vigil has actually been kept in Hong Kong since1990 On the mainland, referrals to the crackdown are prohibited, and the government discusses it rarely – if at all.

On 4 June 1989, troops and tanks opened fire on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing – price quotes of the dead differ from a few hundred to numerous thousand.