Hong Kong activists mark Tiananmen 30 year anniversary

BEIJING, China (AP) – Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong have gathered to mark 30 years since China’s bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

The annual vigil at Hong Kong’s Victoria Park near the bustling Causeway Bay shopping district appeared to draw tens of thousands of participants who filled several football fields and held candles in the sultry night air.

Following an introduction of songs in the city’s Cantonese dialect and traditional string music, a minute of silence was held for the victims.

Hong Kong is the only region under Beijing’s jurisdiction that holds significant public commemorations of the 1989 crackdown and memorials for its victims.

Hong Kong has a degree of freedom not seen on the mainland as a legacy of British rule that ended in 1997.

China restricts information before and during the 30th anniversary of a deadly military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

There is virtually no mention in mainland China of the crackdown that took place the night of June 3-4, 1989, and is believed to have killed hundreds and possibly thousands of people.