Hundreds of demonstrators marched in Hong Kong to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the Chinese government’s brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square.
“Persist until the end! Never give up! Redress June 4! End one-party rule!” chanted the crowd, as reported by Nikkei Asian Review.
“As long as justice is not served, we will definitely carry on, for justice and for our conscience,” one demonstrator declared, while another said that “the path to fight for democracy is a long walk.”
“This is the 27th year after 1989 and the people in Hong Kong, we, are still persistently calling for the vindication of June 4 and the end of one-party rule and democratic China. And also, everyone can see that, the suppression is not just back in 1989, it is also today in China, today in Hong Kong,” said legislator Lee Cheuk-yan, quoted by Asia One.
Hong Kong Free Press put the size of the demonstration at roughly 1,500 people, while the official police estimate was about half that number. There was general agreement that this year’s commemoration was much smaller than last year’s, which organizers claim attracted 3,000 people.
Asia One reports this year’s march was met by “dozens of pro-Beijing supporters,” who claim the reports of civilian casualties at Tiananmen Square were greatly exaggerated.
“For 27 years, they (pro-democratic leaders) have been holding marches to draw attention to the Tiananmen Square massacre. I think this is not the truth. There are casualties in the 1989 riots, but the majority of those who died were military, as well as innocent civilians and students,” said Beijing loyalist Peter Lam.
Lam is, of course, completely wrong about what happened at Tiananmen Square, but the Chinese Communist party has been working diligently to suppress and erase the truth for a quarter-century. Remembering any version of history except the Communist-approved tale is essentially illegal, and Hong Kong’s unique legal status makes it the only place where commemorative demonstrations are allowed.