See more minute by minute tweets of the events of June 4th 1989 @prchovanec |
Tens of thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong to mark the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre today, whilst Chinese authorities silenced all mention of the pro-democracy protests, that resulted in a military crackdown killing hundreds.
Organisers stated that 180,000 people gathered in Hong Kong, as thousands of candles were lit to mark the massacre, alongside events held in Taiwan and around the globe.
 Pro-democracy activists alongside Tamil Solidarity mark the massacre in London. Photograph: Tamil Solidarity |
The White House also released a statement saying, the United States “continues to honor the memories of those who gave their lives in and around Tiananmen Square and throughout China, and we call on Chinese authorities to account for those killed, detained, or missing in connection with the events surrounding June 4, 1989.”
In mainland China though, the government cracked down in the weeks leading up to the massacre, where it is still a taboo topic. Lawyers, journalists and activists were reportedly detained while international news reports were censored and internet searches blocked.
Despite the measures taken by the Chinese government, remembrance events continued to take place, with Nobel Peace Prize-nominated rights activist Hu Jia, who is currently under house arrest, saying “it warms my heart that those events and those sacrifices have not been forgotten after 25 years”.