Jun 5, 2020 - World

In photos: Thousands gather to honor 31st anniversary of Tiananmen Square massacre

Orion Rummler

A man holds a candle close to his face while wearing a face mask — Protesters hold candles during a moment of silence in Victoria Park, Hong Kong. Photo: Willie Siau/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Thousands of protesters held vigils and demonstrations in Hong Kong, as well as in Taiwan and Japan, on Thursday in remembrance of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

The big picture: The 31st anniversary of the bloody crackdown comes amid China's plans to implement a sweeping national security law for Hong Kong that could dramatically constrain Hong Kong's autonomy and provoke fierce backlash from pro-democracy activists, Axios' Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian and Dave Lawler report.

In this image, a man wearing a face mask lights candles — Protesters light candles in Victoria Park. Photo: Willie Siau/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

A line of people wearing masks hold banners — Protesters at Liberty Square in Taipei City, Taiwan on June 4. Photo: Ceng Shou Yi/NurPhoto via Getty Images

A large crowd — A vigil in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong on June 4. Photo: Miguel Candela/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A large orange pillar — The Pillar of Shame cleaned and decorated with flowers. Photo: Belinda Jilao/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

A man wearing a hat and a face mask stands in front of a large crowd — Protesters hold candles inscribed with the word "truth" in Victoria Park. Photo: Geovien So/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Three people wearing face masks sit cross-legged in front of a banner — Protesters in Victoria Park, Hong Kong on June 4. Photo: Tommy Walker/NurPhoto via Getty Images

A woman is helped over a fence while holding groceries — People climb over a toppled barricade as they attend a vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong. Photo: Yan Zhao/AFP via Getty Images

Men in helmets surrounded another while beating him, all wearing face masks — Undercover police arrest protesters at a vigil in Mongkok, Hong Kong on June 4. Photo: Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images

Packed pews in a church — Vigil attendees in a church on June 4 in Hong Kong. Photo: Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images

Birds eye view of a football field's worth of people standing in a park — Thousands at a vigil in Victoria Park on June 4. Photo: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

A line of people holding banners — Protesters outside the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Viola Kam/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

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