Candles, songs and cries for democracy at Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigil (PHOTOS)

The 2015 vigil in Victoria Park. Photo: Laurel Chor/Coconuts Media
The 2015 vigil in Victoria Park. Photo: Laurel Chor/Coconuts Media

Yesterday, thousands of Hongkongers attended the annual Tiananmen vigil on June 4 at Victoria Park. The crowds were noticeably thinner than last year’s event – which organisers estimate 180,000 people attended – but it was a strong turnout nonetheless. Echoes of last year’s pro-democracy movement rang throughout the evening, with Occupy-inspired songs sung and yellow umbrellas held up high. 

Attendees held candles in remembrance of the students killed during the 1989 crackdown on student protesters in Beijing.

On the main stage, different groups took the spotlight as they played videos or led the crowds into chants and songs. 

Yellow umbrellas, the symbol of last year’s protests, could be seen peppering the crowd.

Protesters brought snacks and drinks to last them as they sat on the concrete throughout the two-hour event. 

A young attendee getting interviewed by a journalist. 

A monument for Tiananmen, declaring “The memory of democracy’s martyrs will live forever,” stood in the middle of the crowd.

Many documented the event on their mobile devices. 

Lyrics for the songs played during the ceremony were printed on handouts. 

Attracting much attention was the “Goddess of Democracy” statue, a replica of the artwork that students erected in Tiananmen Square in 1989. 

Among the various pamphlets handed out by different groups was this one, featuring “prisoners of conscience” detained in mainland China.

Rida Nisar, 19, was born and raised in Hong Kong. Half-Pakistani, half-Chinese, she considers herself a Hongkonger, which she believes comes with the responsibility of knowing about the history of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.

After the vigil concluded, many diligently cleaned up their rubbish and candlewax.

A large banner depicting Tiananmen Square during the 1989 protests was displayed on one side of the park. Many took pictures in front of it.

To the horror of some, one man proudly waved a large Taiwanese flag throughout the night.

Some parents used the evening to teach their children about June 4. 

Photos/Text: Laurel Chor/Coconuts Media



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