Vigil to mark 15th anniversary of Tiananmen Square
(4 Jun 2004) 1. Wide shot people gathered for vigil 2. Mid shot man holding candle 3. Pull back over crowds 4. Mid shot people in crowd 5. Pan over crowd to stage 6. Mid shot people on stage 7. Pan over performers singing 8. Wide shot stage 9. Pan over people raising candles into the air STORYLINE: Angered by China's hard line against democracy in Hong Kong, thousands of people waved candles, sang and chanted on Friday night to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing. Beijing shocked and outraged the world by deploying tanks and troops on June 4, 1989, to stop the unarmed students who sought democracy in the authoritarian mainland. Hundreds if not thousands were killed, and 1 (m) million Hong Kong people spontaneously took to the streets in protest, fearful for what lay ahead as they waited for Britain to return Hong Kong to China in 1997. Hong Kong people have grown increasingly frustrated and unhappy with Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, who took control when the British left and is seen by many here as a puppet to Beijing. Tensions escalated when China ruled in April that Hong Kong people cannot elect Tung's successor in 2007. Although critics charge that China stripped away Hong Kong's guaranteed autonomy, Beijing has stressed economic growth for the territory, hoping that it will mute the demands for universal suffrage now being denied. The Tiananmen Square vigil attracted numerous ordinary citizens, elderly people and young couples who brought small children so they could teach them about China's crackdown. Beijing says its troops were needed to break up a counterrevolutionary riot but Hong Kong residents believe the real intent was stopping dissent that challenged China's one-party rule. People waved banners Friday night demanding that China reverse its official explanation of Tiananmen Square by admitting mistakes. Politics in Hong Kong have grown more turbulent since last July 1, when 500,000 people marched against and anti-subversion bill they viewed as a threat to freedoms and Tung had to withdraw it. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
