150,000 Commemorate Tiananmen Victims in Hong Kong

Saturday night in Hong Kong, more than 150-thousand people joined a candlelight vigil to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Filling more than six football fields in the downtown area, people called on the Chinese Regime to reverse its verdict on the Tiananmen Massacre, known as the June 4th Incident in Chinese.

This huge turnout of people comes in the wake of the recent wave of suppression against political dissidents in China.

[Lee Cheuk-yan, Pro-democracy Legislator]:
„We are witnessing the darkest age for China’s human rights, with suppression of human rights defenders everywhere in China since the Nobel peace prize of Liu Xiaobo and the Jasmine Revolution. So now with the candlelight vigil, we are going to give a very strong message to the communist regime—stop suppressions, release Ai Weiwei and all other human rights defenders.“

It’s been 22 years after the Tiananmen Massacre and the Chinese regime continues to violate human rights on a large scale in the Mainland. Hong Kong protestors dedicated flowers to the Tiananmen victims, making it clear they will not be forgotten.

[Katie Tong, University Student]:
„I have to say that it’s a part of history, and we shall never forget because we have to learn from history and then we won’t make the same mistakes again. So it’s actually for all of us to face reality.“

Reality, for now, is that Hong Kong is the only place in China where people have the freedom to hold a vigil and exercise the freedom of expression.

Foto: NTD