AP PHOTOS: Hong Kong's June 4 candlelit vigil over the years

Hong Kong June 4 Vigil Photo Gallery (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

No one attended the annual candlelight vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park remembering the deadly crackdown in Beijing s Tiananmen Square in 1989 on Friday as Hong Kong police cordoned off parts of the park, including football fields and basketball courts, to prevent any gatherings.

Police arrested an organizer of the vigil earlier in the day and warned people not to attend the banned event as authorities mute China’s last pro-democracy voices.

For decades, Hong Kong has been one of just two cities in China allowed to mark the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square.

In 1989, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in the square calling for democracy, less censorship and greater freedom of speech.

On June 4 that year, China’s military converged on the square with orders to clear it out, opening fire and arresting protesters. Estimates of the number of people killed range from hundreds to several thousand.

China’s official verdict is that the largely peaceful protests aimed to topple the ruling Communist Party and plunge the country into chaos. China has censored any mention of the event online.

Each June 4, thousands have gathered in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mourn the victims of the crackdown, lighting candles and singing songs in remembrance.

This year, however, Hong Kong authorities have banned the vigil for the second consecutive year, citing social distancing restrictions and public health risks from the coronavirus pandemic.

Similar events have also been held each year in Macao, although authorities have also banned them for the last two years, citing the pandemic.

Critics say authorities are using the pandemic as an excuse to silence pro-democracy voices in Hong Kong as Beijing tightens its control over the semi-autonomous city following months of anti-government protests in 2019.

Last year, thousands gathered in Victoria Park despite the ban and police warnings. Weeks later, police arrested over 20 activists who took part in the vigil.

Organizers have urged residents to mark June 4 in private this year by lighting a candle wherever they are.