Hong Kong Tiananmen Vigil May Need to Go Online, Organizer Says

(Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong’s annual June 4 vigil commemorating the 1989 crackdown on activists in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square will be held online if police ban the gathering, the organizer said. The event has been held in the city for the past 29 consecutive years.

If the vigil doesn’t receive police approval, a memorial will be held from 8 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and participants can hold candles and observe a moment of silence wherever they are, Lee Cheuk-yan, chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, said at a briefing Sunday. The alliance called for support for a global social-media campaign using the hashtag #6431truth.

Police have not issued authorization for recent protests, citing health concerns after the government put in place a ban on gatherings because of the coronavirus outbreak. The city currently doesn’t allow congregations of more than eight people, a restriction set to last until June 4. Most of Hong Kong’s reported infections over the past month have been imported cases.

The vigil in the city’s Victoria Park has attracted tens of thousands of people every year since 1990.

The organizers say they plan to be at the park on June 4 and will set up stalls across Hong Kong to give out candles. Police haven’t yet informed them if the event is banned, Lee said.

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