On the 35th anniversary of the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests at Tiananmen Square, China has heightened security measures to prevent any public remembrance of the event. Checkpoints and police vehicles lined the roads leading to the square, reflecting the government's efforts to suppress any discussion or commemoration of the incident.
The Chinese government's crackdown in 1989 saw an estimated 180,000 troops and armed police using tanks and armored vehicles to quell the protests, resulting in an unknown death toll that could be in the hundreds or thousands. To this day, any mention of the event is heavily censored in China, with social media posts related to Tiananmen Square being swiftly deleted.
Despite the heavy security presence, life in Beijing appeared normal, with tourists visiting Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. However, those who lost family members in the crackdown were unable to publicly gather or mourn their loved ones.
In Hong Kong, where the crackdown is also a sensitive topic, pro-Beijing groups organized a carnival in a park that traditionally hosted an annual vigil for the Tiananmen Square anniversary. Recent arrests under Hong Kong's national security law have further restricted public commemorations of the event.
While official efforts to suppress discussion of the Tiananmen Square crackdown continue, some individuals have chosen to privately remember the event. In Hong Kong, police have been monitoring activists and even detained a performance artist in a busy shopping district.
Overseas, commemorative events for Tiananmen Square have been growing, with vigils and discussions planned in cities like Washington DC, London, Brisbane, and Taipei. These events serve as a reminder of the importance of remembering historical events, even in the face of government censorship and suppression.
