More than 100,000 people thronged Hong Kong's Victoria Park for a candlelight vigil to mark the 27th anniversary of China's brutal crackdown of the pro-democracy demonstration in Tiananmen Square.
The organizer of Saturday's event estimated that 125,000 people took part in the vigil, according to the South China Morning Post. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China wants Beijing to overturn its verdict that the Tiananmen Square protesters were rioters and building democracy in China.
“In the history of mankind, there have never been so many people for so many years gathered at the same venue to protest," said Albert Ho Chung-yan, chairman of the alliance. "We are proud of Hong Kong."
The alliance has splintered with some groups, calling for greater freedom in Hong Kong, opting for alternative rallies. Some also believe the vigil's format has grown stodgy and doesn't appeal to younger people.
In 1989 in Beijing, Chinese soldiers killed hundreds of protesters, most of them students. Saturday's demonstration is the only large-scale event in China commemorating the massacre, according to the Associated Press.
