Thousands of Hongkongers defy ban and gather to mark Tiananmen anniversary

Hong Kong marked the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown amid a police ban against the annual Victoria Park vigil because of Covid-19 social distancing restrictions. Thousands defied the ban and gathered in the park anyway, knocking down steel barriers and entering the football pitches. Elsewhere in the city, people gathered to light candles and held a moment of silence to commemorate those who died in the crackdown on June 4, 1989. The vigils were largely peaceful, but scuffles…