In Hong Kong’s Victoria Park, where people had come together for an annual vigil before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, authorities blocked off main parts of the venue and warned people against illegal gatherings. Full Story: reuters.com/world/chinas-t…
Heavy police presence in and around Victoria Park.
"To remember is to resist," prominent Chinese human rights lawyer @tengbiao told Reuters from the United States. "If nobody remembers, the suffering of the people will never stop and the perpetrators will continue their crimes with impunity."
Police officers also searched a man last night who read a book and sat beside two electric candles in Victoria Park, on the eve of the 33rd anniversary of the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square. 📸: REUTERS/@SiuTyrone
Former Hong Kong alliance member Chiu Yan-loy was stopped and searched by the police for carrying flowers. 📸: @berthawangg
Veteran activist Lau Shan Ching
is arrested for suspected unauthorised assembly. He’s wearing a mask with the words: “remembering June 4th” and a t-shirt with the portrait of the now deceased Chinese human rights activist Li Wangyang. #June4th
Chan Po-Ying, chairwoman of the League of Social Democrats is being stopped and searched by the police. She’s later being escorted to the MTR station without being arrested. #June4th#HongKong#China
“It’s a challenge to come here. I could only finish a few pages of “The Power of The Powerless” by Vaclav Havel before they completely sealed off Victoria Park,” said Mars, 25, who walked with the light of his mobile phone on #June4.
#NSL: A Hong Kong court on Friday increased a jail sentence to five years, in line with a China-imposed national security law, for a student who called for independence from China in posts on the Telegram messaging service. reuters.com/world/china/ho…
Lui Sai-yu, 25, an engineering undergraduate at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, was charged with inciting secession in April 2021 with messages calling for "acts to be taken to unlawfully change the regime" in Hong Kong.
He has been in detention since September 2020, after police raided his flat and found a pepper ball gun, meant for firing irritant powder for self-defence, an extendable police baton, two military knives and protective gear.
In a scarred Hong Kong, “beautiful things are gone”.
Remembering what happened in 2019 has become more important than ever.
One year after China imposed the #NSL, we speak to six different Hong Kong people on how they’re keeping the city's memories alive. widerimage.reuters.com/story/in-a-sca…
Democracy activists charge that those in power are trying to take control of the narrative, and they fear that future generations will hear only the government’s version of events.
📷: Reuters/Lam Yik
It’s not only a battle over the narrative: Since the protests died down last year, the city’s very landscape has changed, leaving familiar places unfamiliar.
📷: Reuters/Lam Yik
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and nine other pro-democracy activists are expected to be sentenced on Friday after they were found guilty of participating in unauthorised assemblies during #HongKongProtests in 2019. reut.rs/2Q5JToJ
Lai was found guilty in two separate trials earlier in April for illegal assemblies on Aug. 18 and Aug. 31 2019, respectively. He is scheduled for two more court mentions, including collusion with a foreign country and a fraud case.
In the Aug. 18 case, District Court judge Amanda Woodcock found him guilty together with Martin Lee, Margaret Ng, Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho, Leung Kwok-hung, Cyd Ho, Au Nok-hin and Leung Yiu-chung. The latter two had pleaded guilty.
In an interview with Reuters in May, Lai pledged to stay in Hong Kong and continue to fight for democracy. “What I have, this place gave me, I will fight on till the last day. It will be (an) honour if I ... sacrifice,” said Lai, choking up at times. reut.rs/2XdxGiw
Police is searching Apple Daily’s Office. According to the Apple Daily’s livestream, police said they'll collect personal information and job nature of all staff. #NationalSecurityLaw
Nearly a year after Henry and Elaine were first arrested, the newlyweds were tried on charges of rioting, an offense carrying a penalty of up to 10 years in jail. We followed them as they braced for a life apart and learned their fate today.reut.rs/30W88Hx#HongKo…
During the demonstrations, protesters gave Henry the nickname Fu Tong, which means “to go through water.” Elaine was nicknamed Dou Fo, which means “to go through fire.” Literally, the names mean they’ll go through fire and water together.
They didn’t know Natalie before the arrest. Police were firing rounds of tear gas at the time they found her. After helping Natalie to rinse her eyes with saline water, they tried to leave. The trio were arrested by riot police in front of a barbed-wire fence and were tried tgt.