Former June 4 movement leader Chai Ling may join the Victoria Park vigil, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said.

Vigil organizer the Alliance for the Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China is expecting a high turnout. Lawmaker and alliance member Lee Cheuk-yan said the 8,000 turnout for last Sunday's march was the highest in the past 17 years and indicated a strong turnout at the vigil. Police said only 4,700 attended Sunday's march.

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"I expect the turnout for the vigil will exceed 70,000 [and could reach] 100,000," Lee said.

The number of participants has declined in the past few years. The alliance estimated 48,000 attended last year and 55,000 came in 2007. Police put last year's crowd at 15,700.

But Lee said more candles have been bought this year and attendees may congregate on lawns as well as football pitches at Victoria Park.

Alliance chairman Szeto Wah also said the turnout will be high. "Many young people raised in-depth issues about the June 4 crackdown in the forums we have held," he said.

Lawmaker and alliance member Cheung Man-kwong called on young people to join the vigil as he is concerned rainy weather will deter the elderly from attending. The Hong Kong Observatory has forecast heavy rain and thunderstorms this morning but rain will ease gradually during the day.

The alliance said access to its website has been affected in recent days but it could not determine whether this was due to interference or server overload due to a high number of hits.

Meanwhile, about 200 people, most of them students, held a candlelight vigil last night at Hong Kong University.

Some said they will also be at the vigil tonight. "I take part in the candlelight vigil every year and I will do so again tonight," said Kristy Lam Lok-hin, a second-year student. But classmate Hinsen Lo Kwun-hin will not attend. "I think the alliance provokes a sense of hatred toward the Communist Party."

Catherine Guo, a first-year student from the mainland, said she will watch from the sidelines.

"People in Hong Kong see the event from an extreme angle while mainlanders seldom talk about it. I just want to know what it is all about," Guo said.