Blinken also noted that police in Hong Kong banned a Tiananmen Square vigil to honor the victims. Authorities in China said that the gathering was against COVID-19 mitigation restrictions.
"The Tiananmen demonstrations are echoed in the struggle for democracy and freedom in Hong Kong, where a planned vigil to commemorate the massacre in Tiananmen Square was banned by local authorities," Blinken said.that the U.S. has continued to denounce efforts by China to prohibit residents from commemorating the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
While the Tiananmen Square vigil was banned by authorities, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said on Friday it was planning to hold a"candlelight vigil at the U.S. embassy to remember the victims of the massacre in Tiananmen Square 32 years ago." People hold up their phones with the light on in the Causeway Bay district of Hong Kong on June 4 after police closed the venue where Hong Kong people traditionally gather annually to mourn the victims of China's Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, which the authorities have banned, citing the coronavirus pandemic and vowed to stamp out any protests on the anniversary."Those killed were only trying to find new ways to strengthen the country they loved.
This story was updated on June 4 at 11:16 a.m. to include a statement from a State Department spokesperson.
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