Thousands of protesters marched through Hong Kong yesterday to commemorate the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing 20 years ago, including one of the leaders from Tiananmen Square.
Organizers said around 5,000 people rallied through the streets of the city to mark the anniversary of the military crackdown, which left hundreds, possibly thousands dead following weeks of protests in the capital.
Among the marchers was Xiong Yan (熊炎), a leading student activist during the 1989 demonstrations who now lives in exile in the US.
He was surprisingly allowed into Hong Kong on Saturday.
Lee Cheuk-yan (李卓人), a pro-democracy legislator in Hong Kong and one of the organizers of the annual march, said it was crucial that the city continued to mark the events of 20 years ago.
“We are the only place on Chinese soil that can commemorate June 4,” he said.
“Hong Kong has become the conscience of China to remember ... the crime of the Tiananmen Square massacre and push the regime [in Beijing] to admit their mistakes.”
The attendance at the march was sharply up on last year’s figures.
An annual candlelit vigil on Thursday is expected to attract tens of thousands.
Xiong, who was put on a list of the authorities’ 21 “most-wanted” student protesters after the occupation of Tiananmen was broken up, spent two years in jail before being smuggled to the US via Hong Kong.
His entry was unexpected because of China’s sensitive attitude to any criticism of the crackdown.
Other 1989 campaigners have been refused entry to Hong Kong in the past, although it has a separate legal and immigration system from the mainland, including the right to protest.
“I was very surprised as I have tried many, many times to come,” said Xiong, who arrived on Saturday night, the first time he had set foot on Chinese soil in 17 years.
“I hope in the future I can not only go to Hong Kong, but also to Beijing,” he added.
The marchers gathered in Victoria Park, waving banners with slogans such as “Pass the torch on, relay the message of democracy to those who come after us” and “Speak the truth, never forget.”
The rally included a small group of Chinese students from the mainland, who wore T-shirts citing the late communist leader Mao Zedong (毛澤東): “Whoever suppresses student movements is going to have a bad ending.”
“I am very excited to see so many people, as this is forbidden on the mainland,” said one of the students, 20, who did not want to be named.
Meanwhile, a Danish sculptor who flew to Hong Kong to protest the bloody crackdown was refused entry.
Jens Galschiot, whose sculpture commemorating those who died in the 1989 military crackdown, Pillar of Shame, is displayed at Hong Kong University, was stopped by officials on Saturday and sent back to Zurich, an immigration spokesman confirmed.
Legislator Albert Ho (何俊仁), chairman of the Democratic Party and a lawyer, said the Dane was detained for five hours before being put on a flight to Zurich late on Saturday.
Ho said he was looking at possible legal action over the decision.
Galschiot was also refused entry into Hong Kong ahead of the Beijing Olympics last year.
He was also planning to repair his sculpture and donate two more.
Other members of his family and a filmmaker accompanying them were allowed to pass through immigration.
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