<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/04/hong-kong-police-arrest-pro-democracy-activist-alexandra-wong-on-tiananmen-square-anniversary>
"Hong Kong police have detained more than 20 people, including prominent
pro-democracy figures, on the 34th anniversary of the bloody Tiananmen Square
crackdown in China, while Chinese authorities tightened access to Tiananmen
Square in central Beijing.
Police in Hong Kong said late on Sunday they had detained 23 people between the
ages of 20 to 74 who were suspected of “breaching the peace”. One woman, 53,
was arrested for obstructing police officers.
Chan Po-ying, a veteran activist and head of the League of Social Democrats,
was held briefly in a busy Hong Kong shopping district – an area that for years
was the site of commemorations of the bloody 4 June 1989 crackdown in China.
Holding a small LED candle – a common sight during the annual vigil – and two
flowers, Chan was seized by police and put into a van. According to her party,
she was released about two hours later.
Near Victoria Park, hundreds of police conducted stop and search operations,
and deployed armoured vehicles and police vans.
Other recognisable pro-democracy figures detained by police were Alexandra
Wong, an activist nicknamed Grandma Wong; Mak Yin-ting, the former chair of the
Hong Kong Journalists Association; and Leo Tang, a former leader of the now
disbanded Confederation of Trade Unions.
Another of the detained was a woman who shouted, “Raise candles! Mourn 64!” –
shorthand for the sensitive date. Another was a young man dressed in black who
carried a book titled “35th of May”, another way to refer to the date four days
after 31 May in mainland China.
A reporter with a Hong Kong news outlet was heard saying “I didn’t do anything”
as officers detained her.
Tsui Hon-kwong, a former member of Hong Kong Alliance – the group that had
organised the annual Tiananmen vigil – was also removed while holding a LED
candle."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
