Annual Tiananmen Square vigil organizer in Hong Kong arrested, police get ready to prevent gathering for the massacre’s 32nd anniversary

According to two of her colleagues, Hong Kong police detained activist Chow Hang Tungon Friday, who is the vice-chairwoman of the organisation that conducts yearly vigils for the victims of China's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protestors.

Ms Chow was arrested on the grounds of promoting unauthorised assembly.

Thousands of police officers are likely to monitor Hong Kong's streets to discourage people from assembling to commemorate the June 4th crackdown, which activists say is a symbol of the city's rapid authoritarian shift.

Victoria Park, where locals traditionally assemble each year to commemorate the occasion, has been blocked by police. Thousands of policemen have been deployed to prevent the event from taking place.

Authorities' increased monitoring highlights a significant change from Hong Kong's prized freedoms of expression and demonstration, moving the global financial hub closer to mainland China's tight social restrictions.

As per reports, Ms Chow was detained outside her office early in the morning by plain clothed policemen. She was bundled and driven away in a dark sedan.

Chow was embracing and knew that her arrest was inevitable. In an interview with the BBC she commentated that this was the new reality for Hong Kong now that it was being engulfed by authoritarian rule. She said, “I am willing to pay the price for fighting for democracy.”

She continued to encourage communities to observe the occasion in their own unique ways.

Chow had made a post on Facebook the day before she was arrested, which said, "Turn on the lights wherever you are - whether on your phone, candles or electronic candles."

This would be the second consecutive year that the vigil has been banned under the façade of Covid-19 social distancing protocols.