On 4 June 2026, marking the 37th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, Hong Kong police deployed extensive pre-emptive security measures to deter public commemoration. Authorities stationed a heavy, overwhelming police presence in Causeway Bay and around Victoria Park—the traditional site of the city’s annual candlelight vigils, which in recent years has been deliberately occupied by a state-sponsored “Hometown Market Carnival” (家鄉市集) during the anniversary.
Despite the fully expected and severe level of police suppression, individuals still bravely carried out their actions. For instance, a former standing committee member of the disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China went to Victoria Park to pay tribute by reading out the 1989 victims’ list, while local performance artists attempting to mourn were also actively obstructed and intercepted. Citizens were routinely stopped, searched, and taken away for mild, symbolic acts of expression. In 2021 the leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China were arrested and now are on trial for allegation of inciting subversion. The verdict is expected in mid or late July 2026.
Furthermore, traditional and mainstream media remained relatively quiet about the 4 June anniversary and these police operations, demonstrating severe censorship and self-censorship. This heavy-handed state response effectively criminalised solitary acts of mourning, confirming a severe contraction of civic space and an ongoing tactical pattern to enforce historical silence.