Ronny Tong advises against group gatherings on June 4 to avoid conviction

Executive councillor and senior counsel Ronny Tong Ka-wah advised citizens to avoid group gatherings to commemorate Sunday's 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Tong said that some of the large-scale events organized to remember the crackdown in the past have often been related to radical political stances, and a large group of people coming together to mourn on June 4 could lead to the misconception that it was planned and so a higher risk of violating the law.

He added that gatherings are unnecessary for remembrance, and residents can remember the event privately.

Victoria Park has been the traditional venue for the pro-democracy camp to stage a candlelight vigil to commemorate the crackdown in 1989. The vigil was banned for the first time in 2020 by police citing Covid-19 risks. 

The venue was cordoned off in the following years as well. This year, a number of pro-Beijing groups have booked Victoria Park to stage a carnival fair running from June 3 to 5.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu last week refused to say whether it is legal for citizens to hold lighted candles individually at Victoria Park on Sunday and said that people should act according to the law.