Demonstrators place wreaths at entrance to commemorate martyrs of democracy

Activists clashed with the police as they protested over Beijing's crackdown on the pro-democracy movement that dates back to April 5, 1976, outside Xinhua yesterday.

The demonstrators, who included the April Fifth Action Group, pushed their way through a handful of policemen blocking their attempt to place wreaths at the headquarters' entrance in Happy Valley.

But the tension soon eased when both sides backed down after a noisy protest.

Earlier in the day, supporters from dozens of groups staged the annual Ching Ming commemoration for pro-democracy martyrs for the first time under Chinese rule.

The activists at the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade laid yellow chrysanthemums in front of a makeshift tomb erected in memory of the dead.

Leader of the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Szeto Wah, pledged to preserve the ceremony, which has continued since the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on June 4.

'Long live the martyrs of democracy! Democracy is sure to win,' he said.