Thousands of people in Hong Kong defied a police ban on June 4 evening, breaking through barricades to mark the 31st anniversary of the crushing of a democracy movement cantered on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Despite the police ban on the vigil, crowds lit candles and observed a minute of silence at 8:09 p.m. (1209 GMT, 8:09 a.m. EDT). While police played recordings warning people not to participate in the unauthorized gathering, they did little to stop people from entering the park. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic and Democratic Movements of China that organizes the annual vigil called on people to light candles at 8 p.m. (1200 GMT) and planned to livestream the commemorations on its website. Alliance Chairman Lee Cheuk-yan and several other members of the Hong Kong Alliance gathered at Victoria Park at 6:30 p.m. (1030 GMT, 6:30 a.m. EDT), dressed in black shirts with the Chinese characters for “truth” emblazoned on the front. They lit candles and urged the public to do the same later on to mourn victims of the massacre and show their support for the democratic cause in China. Lee then led the group of about 15 members in a candlelit procession around the park, shouting slogans including, “Stand with Hong Kong.”
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