The 37th Anniversary of the June Fourth Tiananmen Massacre: Memory Endures Amid Intensifying Repression
June 4, 2026, marked the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre. Compared with previous years, this year’s commemorations revealed an increasingly stark dual reality. On one hand, restrictions in Hong Kong and mainland China continued to intensify. Candles, yellow flowers, question-mark balloons, the number “64,” and even graffiti became objects of official scrutiny. On the other hand, memory of June Fourth did not disappear. Through overseas commemorations, online exhibitions, projection campaigns at Chinese embassies and consulates, the release of historical footage, and anonymous acts of remembrance, public memory continued to spread.
I. Hong Kong and Mainland China: Commemorative Space Continues to Shrink
Hong Kong: Even Symbolic Objects Become “Risks”
On June 4, Hong Kong police deployed heavily around Causeway Bay. Police later stated that seven individuals—five men and two women between the ages of 17 and 79—were taken away for investigation on suspicion of engaging in conduct that could disrupt public order. They were later released.
Those taken away were involved in different forms of symbolic expression. Former League of Social Democrats chairperson Chan Po-ying appeared outside Victoria Park holding a yellow paper flower. Police ordered her to put away the flower before escorting her into a police vehicle. A young man dressed in black stood outside the Sogo department store wearing an eye patch and writing on his arm with a red marker; he was also taken away. Another individual holding a candle while sitting outside Sogo was similarly stopped and searched.
On the eve of June 4, performance artist Sam Muk carried a 6.4-meter-long red rope in Causeway Bay and attempted to tie it to a street sign pole before being stopped and searched by plainclothes officers. Artist Chan Mei-tung appeared carrying a question-mark-shaped balloon and was also stopped, searched, and required to show identification.
Question marks, red ropes, yellow flowers, and candles—ordinary symbolic objects—became subjects of police intervention on Hong Kong streets.
A larger shadow continues to come from the courts. Former Hong Kong Alliance vice-chair Chow Hang-tung and former chair Lee Cheuk-yan remain on trial in the national security case involving alleged incitement to subvert state power. Former chair Albert Ho previously pleaded guilty.
For decades, the Hong Kong Alliance organized the annual Victoria Park June Fourth candlelight vigil. Today, the organization has been dissolved, its museum closed, and many of its leading members face prosecution or imprisonment. From prison, Chow Hang-tung continues to speak publicly. Before this year’s anniversary, she announced a 37-hour hunger strike to commemorate the 37th anniversary of June Fourth.
Victoria Park itself hosted the “Fourth Hometown Community Carnival” this year. Organized jointly by thirty provincial hometown associations, the event ran for five days beginning on June 3. The site where hundreds of thousands once gathered in candlelight is now occupied by food stalls, commercial activities, and security checkpoints.
Mainland China: Families of Victims Barred from Mourning
Authorities significantly intensified restrictions on victims’ families this year.
Members of the Tiananmen Mothers reported that Beijing police informed them they would not be permitted to visit Wan’an Cemetery on June 4 to mourn relatives killed during the 1989 crackdown. They were also prohibited from holding customary memorial ceremonies, reading commemorative statements, or publishing photographs of memorial activities.
Although the Tiananmen Mothers have long lived under police surveillance, members stated that this was the first time they had been prohibited from visiting the cemetery itself on June 4.
Tiananmen Mothers representative Zhang Xianling reported noticing a visible increase in police presence around her residence beginning in late April. Her movements and contacts with foreign media were restricted. In her statement marking the 37th anniversary, she again thanked all those who have not forgotten and reiterated the group’s long-standing appeal: “Speak the truth, refuse to forget, seek justice, and call upon conscience.”
Earlier this year, authorities also prevented the Tiananmen Mothers from holding their traditional Lunar New Year gathering.
Around the anniversary, dissidents, rights defenders, former China Democracy Party members, and veterans of the 1989 movement across mainland China were subjected to increased surveillance. Reports emerged from Beijing, Zhejiang, Hunan, Guizhou, and other regions of state security personnel conducting home visits, maintaining surveillance, restricting travel, or requiring activists to leave their homes temporarily.
In Zhejiang, former political prisoners Xu Guang, Chen Shuqing, Mao Qingxiang, and Lü Gengsong were reportedly designated as key targets for “stability maintenance.” In Shanghai and Chengdu, some activists were informed that restrictions on their movements would not be lifted until after June 5.
Security around Tiananmen Square was also visibly tightened. Observers reported increased police deployment, the reappearance of security personnel stationed on pedestrian bridges, and additional patrols on Beijing Subway Line 1.
Zhang Chao Detained After Commemorating June Fourth
According to rights groups, Shandong activist Zhang Chao, whose Buddhist name is Shi Daoguo, traveled alone to Tiananmen Square on June 4. Standing outside the barriers surrounding the square, he took photographs and posted a commemorative poem on social media. The post was quickly removed.
In the early hours of June 5, state security officers escorted Zhang from Beijing back to Zaozhuang, Shandong Province. He was subsequently placed under criminal detention and is currently being held at Zaozhuang No. 1 Detention Center.
Born in 1970, Zhang became involved in rights advocacy while working in Beijing. In 2014, he was detained for 37 days after warning fellow activists of police operations. Later, after becoming a Buddhist monk and adopting the name Shi Daoguo, he continued to promote democratic values and assist fellow dissidents. In 2019, he was again criminally detained on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”
Anonymous Graffiti Appears in Multiple Locations
Despite extensive controls, anonymous graffiti commemorating June Fourth appeared in several locations in China.
One image circulated by the online account “Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher” showed the phrase:
“It’s my duty.”
The phrase echoes a BBC interview conducted during the 1989 movement in which a Beijing resident explained why he was heading toward Tiananmen Square despite the risks.
Another image reportedly showed graffiti in a public restroom reading:
“1989.6.4. Never forget June Fourth.
May the truth never be forgotten.
May freedom and conscience continue to burn
in the hearts of all who remember.
May the flower of democracy we long for
bloom across every corner of China in the near future.”
These anonymous acts were small in scale, but they reflected the continued presence of public remembrance under conditions of extensive surveillance.
II. Digital Censorship: The More Absurd the Restrictions, the More Visible the Memory
Around every June 4 anniversary, China’s censorship apparatus enters a heightened state of operation. On the 37th anniversary, controls expanded further, extending beyond references to Tiananmen itself to include ordinary numbers, dates, song titles, promotional slogans, and even virtual candles in online games.
Platform Restrictions
Before June 4, authorities implemented precautionary controls across multiple platforms. Users reported that QQ, WeChat, Pinduoduo, Douyin, and other services temporarily suspended profile-editing functions. Baidu Netdisk reportedly suspended file-sharing functions.
Terms such as “1989,” “June Fourth,” and “Tank Man” continued to be subject to censorship.
Numbers and Dates Become Sensitive
This year, June 4 fell on a Thursday. After internet users began associating KFC’s popular “Crazy Thursday” promotion with June Fourth commemoration, reports circulated that related content was subject to restrictions.
Some users also noted that June 6 became sensitive because several platform functions were scheduled to resume operation on that date.
Online anecdotes circulated describing unusual censorship involving numbers associated with June Fourth. One user claimed that when three people split a restaurant bill of 192 yuan equally, a transfer of 64 yuan through WeChat could not be completed. Another reported that a social media post mentioning a 6.4-kilometer run was deleted or suppressed.
Music, Games, and Cultural Content
Other indirect references also reportedly faced restrictions.
Users reported that Sodagreen’s song This Day was removed or restricted around June 4. On QQ Music, sharing functions for Taylor Swift’s album 1989 reportedly became unavailable because the album title contained a politically sensitive year.
Players of the social game Sky: Children of the Light also reported restrictions affecting some features around the anniversary period. The game’s candle imagery prompted online discussion that “even candles are being censored.”
Foreign Embassy Posts Removed
On June 4, the British Embassy in Beijing posted a sixteen-second commemorative video on Weibo featuring footage of Tank Man accompanied by the melody of The Internationale. The post was quickly removed, and the embassy’s account reportedly faced restrictions.
Commemorative posts by the German and Canadian embassies also reportedly encountered deletion, comment restrictions, or reduced visibility.
The removal of these posts highlighted the extent to which June Fourth remains a politically sensitive subject on Chinese social media platforms.
A title recorded by China Digital Times summarized the situation: even screenshots of censorship notices could become impossible to share. The result is a recurring paradox of June Fourth remembrance online: the more authorities attempt to erase memory, the more visible the mechanisms of censorship become.
III. Global Commemorations: At Least 45 Cities Worldwide
According to available information, commemorative activities marking the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre took place in at least 45 cities worldwide.
Global List of Commemorative Cities
Taiwan: Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung
United States: Washington, D.C.; New York; Boston; Atlanta; San Francisco; Los Angeles
Canada: Toronto; Vancouver; Calgary; Montreal; Halifax
United Kingdom: London; Birmingham; Manchester; Leeds; Sheffield; Nottingham; Newcastle; Reading; Warrington; Sutton; Wokingham; Maidstone; Glasgow; Edinburgh; Cardiff
Australia: Sydney; Melbourne; Brisbane; Perth; Adelaide
Germany: Berlin; Düsseldorf; Frankfurt; Munich; Stuttgart
France: Paris
Netherlands: Amsterdam; The Hague
Belgium: Brussels
Japan: Tokyo
New Zealand: Auckland
Taiwan: One of the Main Public Sites of Commemoration in the Chinese-Speaking World
A large commemorative gathering was held at Liberty Square in Taipei under the theme “Memory Knows No Borders, Resistance Has No Boundaries.”
Despite heavy rain, hundreds attended. Participants held electronic candles and observed sixty-four seconds of silence in memory of those killed in 1989.
The event incorporated elements associated with Hong Kong’s former Victoria Park vigil and included expressions of solidarity with imprisoned Hong Kong activists Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung, and Albert Ho.
Commemorative activities were also held in Taichung and Kaohsiung.
Taiwan is now widely regarded as one of the few places in the Chinese-speaking world where large-scale public commemoration of June Fourth remains possible.
One participant from Hong Kong, identified by the pseudonym “Flower,” said she valued the opportunity to commemorate June Fourth in Taiwan because such public remembrance was no longer possible in Hong Kong.
North America: Official Statements and Public Vigils
The United States government issued several statements marking the anniversary.
On June 3, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement commemorating the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre and stated that censorship could not erase historical memory. U.S. diplomatic missions in China also shared related messages through social media platforms.
On June 4, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) held a hearing focused on transnational repression by the Chinese government and responses at the state level.
The same day, CECC Co-Chairs Senator Dan Sullivan and Representative Chris Smith issued a joint statement calling for an end to censorship surrounding June Fourth and for the release of individuals imprisoned for peaceful acts of commemoration.
The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party also hosted a commemorative event on Capitol Hill attended by Chairman John Moolenaar, Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, Representative Jill Tokuda, and others.
On May 31, the June Fourth Museum in Los Angeles was vandalized. Exhibits were damaged with orange-red paint. Police opened an investigation and organizers stated that all planned commemorative activities would proceed as scheduled.
On June 2, Human Rights in China (HRIC) and the NAFUS Alumni Association jointly organized a symposium in New York marking the 37th anniversary of the 1989 Democracy Movement and the publication of a new book titled NAFUS and the 1989 Chinese Democracy Movement. The event was supported by New York University’s U.S.-Asia Law Institute. Participants included former student leaders, scholars, and activists. Discussions focused on the organizational history of the student movement, experiences of imprisonment after June Fourth, and the role of civic organizations in future democratic development.
On June 3, the National Endowment for Democracy hosted “Echoes of Tiananmen: Memory, Resistance, and the Fight for Freedom.” Human Rights in China Executive Director and former Tiananmen student leader Fengsuo Zhou delivered a keynote address reflecting on the events of June 1989 and the continuing importance of preserving historical memory despite censorship and repression. Zhou also highlighted the role of political prisoners, independent media, and diaspora communities in preserving the legacy of June Fourth.
On June 4, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation held a candlelight vigil in Washington and presented its 2026 Dissident Human Rights Award to Hong Kong advocate Frances Hui.
Commemorative activities also took place in New York, Boston, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Canada
In Canada, Toronto held a June Fourth memorial concert and candlelight vigil at Mel Lastman Square in North York. Organizers reported that more than 400 people attended, with approximately 1,000 participants throughout the evening.
Speakers included Fengsuo Zhou, Cheuk Kwan, and former Senator Consiglio Di Nino. Messages from imprisoned Hong Kong activist Chow Hang-tung and Tiananmen Mothers representative Zhang Xianling were also presented.
In Vancouver, the Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement organized a series of commemorative activities between May 31 and June 4. A candlelight vigil held at David Lam Park on June 4 attracted an estimated 500 to 700 participants.
Commemorative activities also took place in Calgary, Montreal, and Halifax.
Europe: Overseas Hong Kong Communities Continue the Victoria Park Tradition
The United Kingdom hosted one of the largest numbers of commemorative events this year, with activities taking place in fifteen cities and regions, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Newcastle, Reading, Warrington, Sutton, Wokingham, Maidstone, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Cardiff.
In London, hundreds gathered outside the Chinese Embassy for a candlelight vigil. Participants arranged candles in the shape of “8964,” sang Freedom Flower, and called for the release of political prisoners.
Birmingham’s Chinatown also hosted commemorative activities.
More than 200 people attended a June Fourth vigil in Reading. Fourteen Members of Parliament and local elected officials expressed support through attendance, speeches, or recorded messages.
Approximately 400 people participated in a commemorative gathering in Sutton. Former Hong Kong legislators and local elected officials also attended.
Additional vigils, rallies, and commemorative activities were held in Sheffield, Warrington, Maidstone, Newcastle, Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Leeds.
Many of these events were organized by overseas Hong Kong communities. In addition to commemorating those killed in 1989, participants highlighted the imprisonment of Chow Hang-tung and other Hong Kong activists and discussed the closure of public commemorative space in Hong Kong.
Elsewhere in Europe, Brussels served as a venue for an international online commemorative forum. Human rights organizations and labor groups also delivered petitions calling for the release of Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung.
Commemorations were also held in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Paris, Amsterdam, and The Hague.
Australia, Japan, and New Zealand
Commemorative activities were held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
According to SBS Chinese, former Chinese state media journalist Cheng Lei participated in commemorative activities in Melbourne. Participants emphasized the importance of preserving memory overseas as public commemoration has become impossible in Hong Kong.
In Tokyo, memorial events, candlelight vigils, and photo exhibitions were held at Waseda Hoshien. Former student leader Wuer Kaixi held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, calling on Japan to serve as a democratic stronghold in Asia and to abandon policies of accommodation toward the Chinese Communist Party.
Auckland also hosted commemorative activities.
IV. Forms of Commemoration: From Candlelight Vigils to Projections, Archives, and Historical Footage
Commemorative activities this year extended beyond traditional candlelight vigils.
“It’s My Duty” Projection Campaigns
Projection campaigns under the slogan “It’s My Duty” took place in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Munich, and Sydney.
Images and messages related to June Fourth were projected onto public buildings and locations near Chinese diplomatic facilities.
The slogan originates from a BBC interview conducted during the 1989 Democracy Movement, in which a Beijing resident explained why he was heading toward Tiananmen Square despite the danger by saying: “It’s my duty.”
Online Historical Exhibitions
Human Rights in China, Humanitarian China, and “Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher” jointly launched the online exhibition series “June Fourth Images You Have Never Seen.”
The exhibition featured historical photographs documenting June Fourth-related events in Hangzhou, overseas student solidarity activities, and other aspects of the 1989 Democracy Movement.
According to organizers, the project consisted of 31 social media posts and generated more than 15 million views.
Newly Released Historical Footage
Britain’s Independent Television News archive released approximately ninety minutes of restored footage secretly filmed in Beijing after the military crackdown in June 1989.
The footage documents conditions in Beijing following the clearing of Tiananmen Square and supplements previously released archival material made public in 2025.
Newly Released Photographic Archives
The Epoch Times published more than 2,000 previously unreleased photographs reportedly taken by an official photographer who witnessed the events of 1989.
The images had remained unpublished for 37 years and provide additional visual documentation of the protests and subsequent crackdown.
Other Commemorative Activities
A Japanese user on X attracted attention by creating an image using Japanese railway station names whose initial characters spelled out “June Fourth Beijing Tiananmen.” The post was later reportedly suspended after being mass reported.
Anonymous commemorative graffiti and messages also appeared in several locations inside China.
Conclusion: Memory Continues
Thirty-seven years after the Tiananmen Massacre, restrictions on public commemoration remain in place in mainland China and Hong Kong.
This year, members of the Tiananmen Mothers were prevented from conducting collective memorial activities at Wan’an Cemetery. In Hong Kong, multiple individuals were stopped, searched, or detained for symbolic acts of remembrance. Across mainland China, dissidents and former political prisoners faced heightened surveillance and movement restrictions. Online censorship extended beyond direct references to June Fourth to encompass a wider range of dates, numbers, symbols, and cultural content.
At the same time, commemorative activities took place in at least 45 cities around the world, including Taipei, London, Berlin, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sydney, Melbourne, Tokyo, and Auckland.
Commemorations took the form of candlelight vigils, public forums, exhibitions, projection campaigns, archival releases, historical footage, and online initiatives. New photographs, video recordings, and historical materials also became publicly available.
The 37th anniversary demonstrated two parallel developments: continued efforts by authorities to suppress public remembrance, and the continued preservation and transmission of memory through international, digital, and community-based forms of commemoration.
Thirty-seven years later, despite increasing censorship, repression, and the shrinking space for public commemoration, the memory of June Fourth continues to endure—carried forward by survivors, families of victims, civil society, and new generations around the world and across cyberspace.