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Record turnout for June 4 vigil in Hong Kong
4 June 2010 (Friday)
Hong Kong
 Sea of Candlelight 150,000 mourn for victims of 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown (This photo essay is on  .
Click for details)Over 150,000 people took part in the annual candlelight vigil to mourn the death of those killed in the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, according to the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, the organizer of the event for 21 years.  Redress June 4 Richard Tsoi, Alliance co-chair, mcees  Dare Not Forget Leung Ka Wai and Chan Wing Yan from Ma On Shan could not forget  Persist Tens of thousands converging at Victoria Park The six soccer fields at Victoria Park in Hong Kong were filled to capacity. More people tried to get in but were stopped by the police, whose count is 113,000, the highest ever estimated.  Fighting Spirit Szeto Wah, Alliance chair, persists while fighting cancer 79 year-old Szeto Wah, chairman of the Alliance, said he was surprised and elated by the huge turnout. "I should say thanks to the government and vice-chancellor [of Chinese University Lawrence] Lau Juen-yee. Their level of political wisdom is very low," Szeto said. The previous day, a university council committee ruled to ban permanent display of the new Goddess of Democracy statue on the campus.  New Goddess The return of the new Goddess of Democracy statute after being confiscated Many said they came to the vigil to express their anger at the police's recent confiscation of two Goddess of Democracy statues - first raised in Tiananmen Square in 1989 - on the grounds that no licence had been obtained for "public entertainment".  Persevere A burning desire to persevere  The Next Generation Young People vows to continue the struggle One of the emphases of this vigil was the passing the baton to the young people to continue the struggle. The largest group attending the event is now under the age of 30.  Let's Ride Bikers rode for press freedom and the release of Liu Xiao Bo Over 100 bikers took to the streets riding from Shanghai Street in Yau Ma Tei district, Kowloon, to Wanchai via Star Ferry with a police escort. They then rode to Causeway Bay and joined the vigil. This event was organized by Wooferten, a non-profit that promotes art exploration and experimentation, to commemorate the bicycle parade in Beijing for press freedom in 1989 and to demand the immediate release of Liu Xiao Bo. Liu was sentenced to 11 years in jail on December 2009 for "inciting subversion of state power and the socialist system" through the Charter '08 manifesto, which was co-signed by some 300 prominent citizens advocating the end of the one-party rule. Click for photo essay on June 4 Bike Ride.  Performance Art A performance artist simulated the death of students on the Square A number of performace art activities reflecting artists' concern over the crackdown were held all over the territory, including live painting of messages on clothing and simulated injury and death of students on the Square. (This photo essay is on .
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