Candles in rain mark June 4 vigil in Hong Kong as key Beijing figure confirmed dead
Annual Tiananmen demonstration in Hong Kong cut short by downpours as key figure in events 24 years ago is confirmed dead at 84
The annual Hong Kong candlelight vigil to mark the 24th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown was brought to an abrupt end last night by heavy downpours and a power failure.
Adding to the drama, the key figure blamed for the June 4 incident was confirmed dead in Beijing last night.
Many people had braved the heavy rain, chanting slogans and turning Victoria Park into a sea of umbrellas. But an hour in, as weather conditions deteriorated, Lee Cheuk-yan, chairman of the main organiser, the Hong Kong Alliance In Support of Patriotic Movements in China, had to call an end to the vigil. It was supposed to run for two hours.
"I'm somewhat disappointed. It's really unfortunate. Once they announced the event was cancelled, the rain stopped," said one Hong Kong student participating in the vigil.
The organisers put the number of participants at 150,000, lower than their target of 180,000. Police reported the figure to be 54,000, down from 85,000 last year.