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Organiser of Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigil arrested on June 4 anniversary on suspicion of advertising or publicising an unauthorised assembly
- Chow Hang-tung, 36, a June 4 vigil leader, and a 20-year-old man, are accused of using their social media accounts to advertise or publicise a prohibited public meeting
- Police banned the event this year citing Covid-19 rules and will deploy 7,000 officers across the city to deal with any possible unauthorised gatherings
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Police have arrested the vice-chairwoman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Chow Hang-tung, on suspicion of promoting a banned annual candlelight vigil marking the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
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Chow, 36, was detained by officers from the New Territories South regional crime unit at about 7.45am on Friday in Central for allegedly advertising or publicising a prohibited public assembly. A 20-year-old delivery driver was arrested in Sha Tin over the same offence.
Officers said they had launched investigations after noticing some people were ignoring a police ban on the June 4 event in Victoria Park – imposed by senior officers citing Covid-19 rules – and appealing to others on various online platforms to attend public activities.
Police said those acts were in violation of the Public Order Ordinance, an offence carrying a maximum penalty of five years in jail, and officers swooped on Friday morning to make two arrests.
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A spokesman for her group said since Chow’s plan to light a candle had been obstructed, the 36-year-old would resort to another act of defiance.
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