Tiananmen Square, 22 Years Later

Twenty-two years ago in Beijing, hundreds and hundreds died when the Chinese government used military force to halt pro-democracy demonstrations by the Chinese people.

Decades later, when it comes to anti-government demonstrations, China continues to lack tolerance.

Hong Kong (CNN) -- Thousands of people filled Hong Kong's Victoria Park on Saturday to mark the 22nd anniversary of the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square.

The candlelight vigil comes after recent efforts by the Chinese government to quash would-be demonstrators from holding anti-government protests. About 26 people were arrested between February and March, according to a Hong Kong-based human rights group, when an anonymous group began an internet campaign calling for anti-government protests in China similar to ones that have taken hold in the Middle East.

In response to the campaign, authorities deployed heavy security along major thoroughfares, especially in Wangfujing, a busy shopping street in downtown Beijing that had been designated by the online group for protests. The government also tightened rules on foreign reporters, explicitly warning them that they risk detention, suspension of press cards and expulsion if they show up at planned demonstrations.

Saturday's protest is an annual event organized by the Hong Kong Alliance, a pro-democracy group. Hong Kong police called it a "peaceful gathering."

Images of the demonstration showed a sea of flickering candles covering the length of the park.

The anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests serves as a reminder of how precious our freedom is, and how blessed we are to be Americans.

It's also a warning to us. We must always remain vigilant in terms of protecting our rights and not allowing more and more government intervention in our lives.

We must never forget the lessons of Tiananmen Square.

Be the guy standing in front of the tanks.



Tens of thousands attended the vigil in Hong Kong, but on the Chinese mainland, it's as if the event didn't take place.

From the Toronto Star:

Tens of thousands of people — organizers say 150,000 — turned out for a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong on Saturday to remember those who died in the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, and to demand the release of pro-democracy activists on the Chinese mainland.

It was a stunning display of hope for a democratic ideal, coming at a time when political suppression in China has never been greater — not since the Communist government used guns and tanks to crush the student-led Tiananmen protests in Beijing 22 years ago.

In Hong Kong, where police estimated the crowd at a more conservative 77,000, demonstrations are still allowed under the agreement that returned the former British colony to China in 1997.

But on the Chinese mainland, in a feat worthy of a George Orwell novel, government censors blocked all news of Saturday’s protest.

Nor was there any mention of the tragic events of June 4, 1989, in which hundreds and possibly more than 1,000 people died.

The Tiananmen massacre remains a taboo topic in mainland China, and Saturday was marked by a near-national amnesia, interrupted only by news that Li Na, China’s top female tennis player, had won the French Open.

All governments are not created equal.