AP PHOTOS: Hong Kong's June 4 candlelit vigil over the years

1 of 14 |

This combination of images between 1997 and 2021 shows thousands of people attend a June 4th candlelight vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mark the anniversary of the military crackdown on a pro-democracy student movement in Beijing, except for this year at bottom right. Hong Kong is the only region under Beijing’s jurisdiction that holds significant public commemorations of the 1989 crackdown and memorials for its victims. Hong Kong has a degree of freedom not seen on the mainland as a legacy of British rule that ended in 1997. Top row from left are 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001. Second row from left are 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Third row from left are 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Fourth row from left are 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. Bottom row from left are 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. (AP Photo)

2 of 14 |

FILE - In this June 4, 2020, file photo, thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mark the anniversary of the military crackdown on a pro-democracy student movement in Beijing. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

3 of 14 |

FILE - In this June 4, 1999, file photo, thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mark the 10th anniversary of the military crackdown on a pro-democracy student movement in Beijing. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

4 of 14 |

FILE - In this June 4, 1998, file photo, thousands of people held a candlelight vigil in the heavy rain at Victoria Park in Hong Kong to mark the ninth anniversary of the military crackdown in Tiananmen Square on a pro-democracy student movement in Beijing on the same day. The memorial is also the first time held under the Chinese rule since the British handover of Hong Kong in the previous year. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

5 of 14 |

FILE - In this June 4, 1997, file photo, thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil at Hong Kong’s Victoria Park, to mark the 8th anniversary of the military crackdown on a pro-democracy student movement in Beijing on the same day in 1989, as Hong Kong entered its last month as a British colony. (AP Photo/Franki Chan, File)

6 of 14 |

Hong Kong Victoria Park is seen Friday, June 4, 2021. Police arrested an organizer of Hong Kong’s annual candlelight vigil remembering the deadly Tiananmen Square crackdown and warned people not to attend the banned event Friday as authorities mute China’s last pro-democracy voices. In past years, tens of thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to honor those who died when China’s military put down student-led pro-democracy protests on June 4, 1989. Hundreds, if not thousands were killed. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

7 of 14 |

FILE-In this June 4, 2005, file photo, thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mark the 16th anniversary of the military crackdown on a pro-democracy student movement in Beijing. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

8 of 14 |

FILE - In this June 4, 2007, file photo, thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mark the anniversary of the military crackdown on a pro-democracy student movement in Beijing as Hong Kong marks the 10th anniversary of its handover from British to Chinese rule on July 1, 2007. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

9 of 14 |

FILE - In this June 4, 2009, file photo, thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mark the anniversary of the military crackdown on a pro-democracy student movement in Beijing. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

10 of 14 |

FILE - In this June 4, 2012, file photo, thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mark the anniversary of the military crackdown on a pro-democracy student movement in Beijing. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

11 of 14 |

FILE - In this June 4, 2013, file photo, thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mark the anniversary of the military crackdown on a pro-democracy student movement in Beijing. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

12 of 14 |

FILE - In this June 4, 2011, file photo, thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mark the anniversary of the military crackdown on a pro-democracy student movement in Beijing. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

13 of 14 |

FILE - In this June 4, 2015, file photo, thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mark the anniversary of the military crackdown on a pro-democracy student movement in Beijing. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

14 of 14 |

FILE - In this June 4, 2019, file photo, thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mark the anniversary of the military crackdown on a pro-democracy student movement in Beijing. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

By Zen Soo

HONG KONG (AP) — No one attended an annual candlelight vigil inside Hong Kong’s Victoria Park on Friday, but hundreds gathered on streets outside to remember China’s deadly crackdown in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989 as Hong Kong police cordoned off much of the park to prevent gatherings.

Police arrested an organizer of the vigil earlier in the day and warned people not to attend the banned event as authorities mute China’s last pro-democracy voices.

For decades, Hong Kong has been one of just two cities in China allowed to mark the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square.

In 1989, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in the square calling for democracy, less censorship and greater freedom of speech.

On June 4 that year, China’s military converged on the square with orders to clear it out, opening fire and arresting protesters. Estimates of the number of people killed range from hundreds to several thousand.

China’s official verdict is that the largely peaceful protests aimed to topple the ruling Communist Party and plunge the country into chaos. China has censored any mention of the event online.

Each June 4, thousands have gathered in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mourn the victims of the crackdown, lighting candles and singing songs in remembrance.

This year, however, Hong Kong authorities banned the vigil for the second consecutive year, citing social distancing restrictions and public health risks from the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the ban and a heavy police presence, hundreds of people still turned up Friday night to walk along the outside of the park. Many turned on their cellphone flashlights or lit candles.

Vigils have also been held each year in Macao, although authorities have also banned them for the last two years, citing the pandemic.

Critics say authorities are using the pandemic as an excuse to silence pro-democracy voices in Hong Kong as Beijing tightens its control over the semi-autonomous city following months of anti-government protests in 2019.

Last year, thousands gathered in Victoria Park despite the ban and police warnings. Weeks later, police arrested over 20 activists who took part in the vigil.

Organizers urged residents to mark June 4 in private this year by lighting a candle wherever they are.

AP PHOTOS: Hong Kong’s June 4 candlelit vigil over the years