On Friday, tens of thousands of Hong Kong police are scheduled to monitor the city's streets to prevent protesters from commemorating the 1989 Chinese forces' crackdown in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
Critics argue that the authorities' increased scrutiny is a significant departure from Hong Kong's cherished freedoms of speech and assembly, putting the global financial hub closer to mainland China's tight social regulations.
The former British colony has regularly staged the world's largest vigil for the Tiananmen Square casualties, having been guaranteed a significant degree of autonomy by Beijing upon its return to Chinese authority in 1997.
The vigil has been banned for the second year in a row, citing the coronavirus as the reason. It did not specify whether celebrating Tiananmen Square would be in violation of a broad national security statute China enacted in 2020 to put the country's most unruly metropolis on a more authoritarian course.
Late Thursday, police issued a statement warning people not to congregate, stating they would "position substantial police forces at important sites" ready to make arrests.
Sunny Cheung, an exiled activist, told Reuters through text, "It is a war against oblivion."
“For a long time, HK has been the only site where (we) can have vigils to remember victims of the 6.4, and this characterizes HK as the lone beacon of liberty and truth under the (Chinese Communist Party's) rule.”
Carrie Lam, the city's leader, has been silent on the commemorations, stating only that citizens must respect the law and the Communist Party, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. In mainland China, commemorations of June 4 are prohibited.
Thousands ignored the restriction last year in Hong Kong, assembling in Victoria Park and line up on sidewalks across the city with lit candles in what was generally a sombre occasion, barring a small fight with police in one district.
There were no police officers at Victoria Park on Friday morning. According to RTHK, 7,000 cops would undertake stop-and-search operations throughout the day, citing anonymous sources.
