Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil banned on health grounds, as officials cite coronavirus pandemic

Also banned last year amid coronavirus concerns, the only large-scale commemoration of the 1989 crackdown on Chinese soil still drew a crowd of thousands

City leader earlier in the day stopped short of saying event would be banned under national security law, but stressed there should be respect for the ruling Chinese Communist Party

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Thousands turned up at Hong Kong’s Victoria Park for the annual Tiananmen Square candlelight vigil last June despite police rejecting organisers’ application. Photo: Robert Ng

Natalie WongandJeffie Lam

Published: 12:19pm, 27 Apr 2021Updated: 11:47pm, 27 Apr 2021

Hong Kong officials on Tuesday night cited health grounds in banning an annual June vigil commemorating the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department, pointing to the Covid-19 pandemic, said the organisers’ application for the use of Victoria Park on June 4 would not be processed.

The statement came hours after the application for a letter of no objection for the planned rally was submitted to police by the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China.

The candlelight vigil in Victoria Park has been the only large-scale public commemoration of the bloody 1989 crackdown in Beijing held on Chinese soil. But the coming edition, which would mark Tiananmen’s 32nd anniversary, would be the first since Beijing imposed its sweeping national security law on Hong Kong last June.

In a statement, the department said: “In accordance with the latest Covid-19 situation, we have suspended the processing of bookings for our leisure and recreational venues for undesignated uses until further notice. We have also informed the [alliance] of the arrangement.”

Richard Tsoi Yiu-cheong, secretary of the alliance, said it had not received formal notice from the department, and its members would meet to discuss their next step.