Memorials for the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre

Vindicate 4 June and Relay the Torch is an annual activity mourning the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre organized by Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China in Hong Kong Victoria Park. Memorials before the handover In 1990, on the first anniversary of the massacre, Reuters quoted an estimate of 15,000 people who took part in the demonstration. Organizers from the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Democracy in China (also known as Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China) provided an estimate of 30,000. Attendees chanted "Long live democracy" and "Rescue those who live". Residents were not sure whether or not the annual demonstration would continue after the upcoming 1997 sovereignty handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China. One demonstrator, Yeung Sum, voiced his support for continued demonstrations as he shouted out "this kind of demonstration must be publicly held after 1997". Organizers estimated a total of 55,000 people, which was a record breaking number up to this point. According to the Associated Press the "demonstrators cut across many divisions" and included groups of people such as youth, business professionals, senior citizens, and workers. This piece was called "The Pillar of Shame" and was lit up during the night. This memorial service was also centred on the "controversial Pillar of Shame". while other banners swore to "fight to the end" and to "never forget June 4". Wei Jingsheng "sent a pre-recorded video message" that was broadcast through loud speakers and Wang Dan "spoke live from New York". The tenth anniversary, in 1999, also featured the controversial "Pillar of Shame" and according to the South China Morning Post, the sculpture included a column that read "the spirit of democracy martyrs will live forever". Similar to demonstrations in earlier years, the participants also sang "pro-democracy" songs and "chanted slogans". Organizers reported that 82,000 people attended, which was up from last year's count of 50,000. This was the largest turnout since the first vigil nineteen years earlier, according to organizers. 2020 and beyond The 31st anniversary commemoration took place only a few short months after the anti-government protests had subsided. Although the commemorations had been banned in Hong Kong due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people still chose to ignore the ban and attended the public vigil in Victoria Park. despite there having been no locally transmitted cases over the previous six weeks. The government showed its determination to stop any memorial from taking place when the Security Bureau warned on 29 May that the penalty for attending an unlawful assembly was five years in prison under the Public Order Ordinance, or one year for promoting it. the government preemptively mobilised 7,000 police officers – one fifth of its strength – for deployment across Hong Kong on 4 June. Victoria Park lay empty for the first time in 32 years. == Mainland China ==

Police are kept on alert during many of the anniversaries in order to guard against public displays of mourning. According to The Washington Post, Beijing "banned any mourning by groups not specifically authorized". Similarly, during the third anniversary there was a sign in the centre of the Square that "warned visitors not to lay mourning wreaths", unless the government had given the visitor consent at least five days in advance. Several people have been arrested, or at least taken away for questioning, for attempting to mourn the victims publicly. One man was questioned for wearing a button that had the V-for-Victory sign and the word "Victory" on it in 1990. According to the New York Times, another man, in 1992, named Wang Wanxin "was dragged away after he tried to unfurl a banner calling on Deng Xiaoping [...] to apologize for the 1989 army crackdown". Some other modes of commemoration included 50 dissidents staging a 24-hour hunger strike in 2000 and private memorial services in people's houses. In 1999, Su Bingxian lit a candle for her son who was killed in the massacre, while others lit ten symbolic candles. == Taiwan ==

On 4 June 2016, Taiwan, formally known as the Republic of China (ROC) held the nation's first ever commemoration in parliament of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown as lawmakers urged the new government to address human rights issues in its dealing with mainland China. It comes weeks after China-sceptic Tsai Ing-wen was sworn in as president, succeeding Ma Ying-jeou who oversaw an unprecedented eight-year rapprochement with Beijing. In the past, the ROC government has repeatedly urged the PRC to learn lessons from the Tiananmen crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, in which more than 1,000 were killed according to some estimates. A day ahead of the 4 June anniversary, senior lawmakers from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the pro-Cross-Strait relations Kuomintang (KMT) were joined by human rights activists and exiled Chinese dissident Wu'er Kaixi as they observed a minute's silence. They also signed a motion proposed by DPP lawmaker Yu Mei-nu to demand the government "express Taiwan's serious concerns over redressing the June 4 incident at the appropriate time" in future interactions between the two sides. == United States ==

In the United States, the first memorial was organized on the 100th day of 4 June 1989 by the Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars, and the second memorial service was organized also by the Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars in the Capitol Hill. Since then, Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars has organized annual memorial services in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC. In San Francisco, for the fifth anniversary, the city erected a 9.5 foot (3 m) bronze statue that was modeled after the original Goddess of Democracy. It is located in the edges of Chinatown, on a small park. Fang Lizhi and Nick Er Liang were at the unveiling. The designer, Thomas Marsh, used photographs of the original Goddess of Democracy as a model for his statue. Two Chinese students of his formed the torch, and another formed the face. == Poland ==

A Tiananmen memorial was built during Solidarity pro democracy demonstrations in 1989 in the Polish city of Wrocław, Lower Silesia. The memorial was destroyed by the Polish authorities, but has been rebuilt since the end of single party communism in Poland. == Online memorials ==

There are many online memorials. For example, the organizers of the annual candlelight vigil, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, have a website where people can sign the "Condolence Book for the victims of Tiananmen". The book is then "burnt in front of the statue of democracy at the June 4 Candlelight vigil". == References ==