Thousands attend HK Tiananmen vigil

5 Jun 2009, 6:50 am   -   Source: AAP
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Tens of thousands of people have attended a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong to mark the 20th anniversary of the bloody crackdown on protests in Tiananmen Square.

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Tens of thousands of people have attended a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong to mark the 20th anniversary of the bloody crackdown on protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

Organisers put the turnout at 150,000, while a police spokeswoman said the number was 62,800.

Szeto Wah, the chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, announced the 150,000 number to the huge crowd, which beat organisers' expectations.

People were still streaming into the city's Victoria Park, where the annual vigil was held, 40 minutes after it was due to start.

The crowds stretched from one side of the park to the other, and extra areas had to be used to accommodate those wanting to mark the date.

Hong Kong is the only place on Chinese soil to hold such a commemoration of the June 4 anniversary of the military crackdown.

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