Hong Kong police detain pro-democracy politicians on Tiananmen Square anniversary

Hong Kong: On the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, Hong Kong police detained several pro-democracy activists and politicians in the city, including the leader of the opposition Chan Po-Ying.

Veteran activist Chan is the head of the League of Social Democrats. He was at the site of commemorations of the bloody June 4, 1989 crackdown in the Causeway Bay shopping district. He was holding a small LED candle and two flowers when he was taken by the police in a van.

Tiananmen Square protests aka 89 Democracy Movement were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing in 1989. The Chinese government violently suppressed the movement in what is known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Carrying the candle is a common practice during the annual vigil to remember the movement.

Veteran journalist Mak Yin-ting, the former chairwoman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, was also taken away at Causeway Bay. On Sunday morning, another prominent democracy activist Alexandra Wong (67) aka Grandma Wong was also taken away. She was also carrying flowers at the time, reported AFP.

According to reports, at least 10 people have been detained related to incidents involving the anniversary of the crackdown. One of the detainees is a woman who shouted "Raise candles! Mourn 64!" and a young man dressed in black and carrying a book titled "35th May".

The vigil is currently banned and any who organise such events are arrested under the security law.

Hong Kong was the only city that observed a large-scale public commemoration of the event for decades. This was only possible due to its semi-autonomous status. In 2020, the national security law imposed to quell dissent turned the tide against the vigil.