Hong Kong Authorities Arrest Leaders, of Annual Tiananmen Square Vigil.
On September 8, Hong Kong police arrested four leaders of the group that organized the city's annual Tiananmen Square commemorations. .
NPR reports that the group's leadership
was arrested after refusing to cooperate
in a national security investigation.
The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China openly challenged the enforcement of a 14-month-old national security law.
The group claims that police have
arbitrarily labeled pro-democracy
organizations as foreign agents.
The alliance organizes annual vigils on the anniversary of China's violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989.
The alliance organizes annual vigils on the anniversary of China's violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989.
The event was the only large-scale public
commemoration of the June 4 crackdown on Chinese soil.
The event was the only large-scale public
commemoration of the June 4 crackdown on Chinese soil.
The vigils have been banned by authorities
for the past two years, citing public health risks
due to the pandemic.
The vigils have been banned by authorities
for the past two years, citing public health risks
due to the pandemic.
NPR reports that critics believe the ban is part of an ongoing crackdown on dissent in the city after numerous anti-government protests erupted in 2019.
On September 7, alliance leaders delivered a letter to police rejecting a request for a detailed account of the group's operations and finances.
Police warned that failure to comply could
result in a fine and six months in jail
