China Bars Tiananmen Victims' Relatives From Annual Cemetery Visit on 37th Anniversary

Chinese police told relatives of those killed in the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown that they would not be allowed to visit a Beijing cemetery on the 37th anniversary, which fell on Thursday, June 4, 2026, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of retribution. Relatives belonging to the group Tiananmen Mothers had visited the cemetery on the anniversary for more than 30 years to read memorial statements while police kept watch, Amnesty International said.

Hundreds of people, and possibly thousands, were killed in 1989 as troops advanced through crowds trying to stop the military from reaching protesters in Tiananmen Square, a vast plaza in the center of Beijing. In Hong Kong, police stepped up security on Thursday to prevent any commemoration at or near a park where a candlelight vigil had been held every year until 2019.

On Wednesday, officers stopped two performance artists from making symbolic gestures in separate incidents; one briefly held up a question-mark-shaped balloon outside a department store.

S. ” Tiananmen Mothers issued an annual appeal for justice signed by 107 people that demanded full disclosure, compensation for victims and families, and legal accountability. Zhang Xianling, a member of the group, said in a video message posted on Facebook, which is blocked in China: “The sacrifice of our family members is an indelible pain etched in our hearts.

The Beijing Public Security Bureau did not respond to a faxed request for comment. Authorities in Hong Kong have banned the vigil since 2020, initially citing the COVID-19 pandemic. Three organizers of the vigil have been charged under a 2020 national security law.

One pleaded guilty, which may result in a lesser sentence; the other two have been tried and are awaiting a verdict. Chow Hang-tung, one of the organizers, said in an online post published last weekend that she would go on a 37-hour hunger strike in prison.

Derek Chu, a former district councilor, visited her on Thursday and told her he would stop eating for 37 hours in support; he added on Instagram that a shop he runs is giving out LED candles that can be used to remember the victims.