China's Tightening Grip on Tiananmen Anniversary Commemorations

China tightens access to Tiananmen Square on the anniversary of the 1989 pro-democracy protests, while Hong Kong detains 32 people, including activists and artists, for attempting to commemorate the event. The death toll from the 1989 violence remains unknown, and discussion of the protests is suppressed in China. Hong Kong, which had been the last Chinese-controlled territory to hold commemorations, has seen a shrinking room for freedom of expression since the imposition of a sweeping national security law in 2020. Human Rights Watch called on the Chinese government to acknowledge responsibility for the killing of pro-democracy protesters.