Amid an increasingly oppressive political climate and the pervasive presence of police, Hong Kong citizens no longer hold the large-scale candlelight vigil in Victoria Park to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Nevertheless, on June 4, many individuals still gathered at Victoria Park and nearby Causeway Bay to pay their respects.
The police deployed a significant number of officers, and several citizens were taken away for expressing their remembrance of the massacre. Some of these individuals were arrested on charges of “suspicion of violating” the recently enacted “offense of seditious intent” under Article 23 of the Basic Law.
Around 3 p.m., Alexandra Wong, 68, known as Hong Kong’s “Grandma Wong,” stood outside the Causeway Bay MTR station holding flowers and shouting slogans such as “Rehabilitate June 4th! The people will not forget,” “Hold those responsible for the massacre accountable,” and “Five demands, not one less!”
She was then surrounded by a large number of police officers and put into a police vehicle.
Since 2014, Grandma Wong has been a regular presence at various social movements in Hong Kong, either large or small. Known for waving a British flag at rallies, she became a symbol of resistance during the 2019 protests. She often sits in on court hearings in solidarity with the protesters.
In August 2019, Grandma Wong was taken away by Hong Kong police during a protest, marking the beginning of a series of harrowing experiences.
According to a chronology she compiled, Grandma Wong said she was held at a detention center in Futian on Aug. 14 for “picking quarrels and provoking troubles, ” a charge often used against dissidents in China. She also claimed that she was injured by Hong Kong police and hospitalized.
On Aug. 30, 2019 she was transferred to Shenzhen No. 2 Detention Center—which she described as “hell,” where she was forced to undergo “patriotic education” during her month-long detention.
Grandpa Ng’s Perseverance
Grandpa Ng, 88, a member of the Mong Kok Shopping Revolution, held a large homemade whiteboard outside a department store in Causeway Bay on the afternoon of June 4, which read, “Remember 1989, Mourn June 4! A day of tragedy! A time of heroism! ... Those years when the candles in Victoria Park burned like a sea of fire! But now the people are gone and the candles are out!”Shortly after displaying the slogan, he was warned by police officers and then taken to a police car.
The Mong Kok Shopping Revolution is a group that emerged after the 2014 Umbrella Movement, and its members continued to gather on the streets of Mongkok every night after the movement ended, persistently advocating for genuine universal suffrage.
In November 2021, four members of the group, including Grandpa Ng, were arrested by the police on suspicion of seditious intent.
However, Grandpa Ng did not back down. On July 1, 2023, the anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, he appeared in Causeway Bay again, where the previous anti-government marches had started, holding a sign with the slogan “Repeal National Security Laws, Fulfill Human Rights Covenants, Release Political Prisoners. Lord, I pray that you look upon Hong Kong.”
At Least Four Other Arrests
Hong Kong police claimed that a 24-year-old man and a 69-year-old woman were acting suspiciously on Yee Wo Street on the evening of June 4. When officers approached to check on them, the man was suspected of assaulting two police officers, and the two were arrested on suspicion of “assaulting a police officer” and “misbehavior in a public place” respectively.Police also said a 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of “common assault” after he allegedly attacked two security guards in a park on Hing Fat Street in the afternoon of April 4.
Car with ‘8964’ License Plate Stopped by Police
A sports car with the license plate “US 8964” was towed away after being stopped by police on June 4.The car’s owner, Anthony Chiu, said on Facebook that he noticed he was being followed as soon as he left a parking lot in Kowloon and was stopped by police on the Island Eastern Corridor. The vehicle was later towed away after being accused of illegal modifications.
In a Facebook group post, Mr. Chiu lamented that “this may be the last year, for reasons I’m sure we can all guess, so let’s all cheer up and remember not to get used to [anomalies].”
Former Councillors Express Condolences
Under the dual shadow of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the legislation of Article 23, people from all walks of life in Hong Kong continued to express their condolences to victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre on social media platforms.Former District Councillor Derek Chu Kong-wai wrote: “Although the flickering candlelight is small, it reflects the conscience of the human heart. Remembering the victims of June 4, remembering the Tiananmen mothers and other refugees, whether on earth or in heaven.”
He also posted a photo of his storefront displaying a row of electronic candles decorated with stickers from the Tiananmen Mothers’ “Tell the Truth” campaign.
He had planned to distribute candles in his store to those who wanted to commemorate June 4, but at nearly 2 p.m., more than 10 plainclothes police officers entered the store. They drove away and registered the information of the journalists present. After the police officers left, electronic candles, “Free June” postcards, and stickers that had been originally placed in the store disappeared.
Andrew To Kwan-hang, former chairman of the League of Social Democrats and former member of the Wong Tai Sin District Council, posted a message in the middle of the night, saying, “It’s the same old story: ‘I don’t want to remember, but I don’t dare to forget!” and attached a photo of a candle.
Former Legislative Councillor Shiu Ka-chun shared the poem “Song of A Foolish Journey” by Chinese poet Meng Lang, which said, “It is their blood that flows quietly in us, and our blood must surge for them.”
Foreign Ambassadors to Hong Kong Appeared in Victoria Park
The British, American, Australian, and Canadian consulates in Hong Kong posted photos of candles on their social media pages on June 4.
The consul generals of the Netherlands and Germany in Hong Kong and the acting director of the European Union Office in Hong Kong and Macau arrived at Victoria Park at around 7:30 p.m. The three stayed in Victoria Park for about 10 minutes before leaving, saying they were there to “walk around” in response to media questions.
Kenichi Okada, Consul General of Japan in Hong Kong, entered Victoria Park alone at around 8 p.m. He claimed that he was taking a walk, a routine for him as on other days.
