On the evening of June 3, hundreds of people gathered at Union Square in San Francisco for a candlelight vigil to commemorate the pro-democracy movement on June 4th, 36 years ago. Attendees continuously chanted slogans such as “Free China, Down with the CCP.”
On June 4, 1989, the Chinese Communist Party deployed a large number of military and police forces along with tanks to violently suppress students participating in the pro-democracy movement at Tiananmen Square, and thoroughly covered up the number of casualties afterwards. Despite various photos, videos, and accounts showing the extensive loss of life on that day, the world still cannot determine the death toll from the event widely known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
The candlelight vigil on the evening of June 3 was organized by the China Democracy Foundation based in San Francisco. The chairman of the foundation, Feng Congde, was the first to speak at the gathering. He mentioned that 36 years after June 4th, people should not forget the Chinese individuals who sacrificed their lives in support of democratic demands during that time.
Feng Congde read out the names of 24 Chinese civilians publicly executed by the CCP after June 4, 1989, for supporting the students’ democratic aspirations. He emphasized that the CCP unjustly killed these individuals on charges of “counter-revolutionary riot.”
Feng Congde also highlighted that the Chinese people have been striving for democracy and freedom for over 100 years. Despite the constitutional system of the Republic of China having a history of 38 years on the Chinese mainland, the democratic revolution in China has yet to be fully realized. He called for the continuation and completion of the remarkable Chinese democratic revolution of more than a century.
During the 1989 pro-democracy movement, Feng Congde served as the deputy commander of the Beijing Autonomous Federation of Universities (Beijing Higher Education Union). He was also one of the 21 student movement leaders targeted by the CCP after the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
The Beijing Higher Education Union was the core organization behind the initiation and promotion of the 1989 Tiananmen student democratic movement.
At the gathering, Fang Zheng, who had his legs crushed by a tank during the Tiananmen Massacre, also spoke. He reflected on being a survivor of the massacre and how the event 36 years ago reminded him of the moment his legs were severed by a tank. He pointed out that many witnesses of the democracy movement at that time are no longer alive, and the truth of the massacre is still being concealed by the CCP.
At Fang Zheng’s suggestion, all attendees observed a minute of silence to pay respects to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives during and after June 4 for the Chinese democratic movement.
Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, a long-time supporter of the Chinese democracy movement, sent a letter of support for the day’s commemorative activities.
In her letter, Pelosi criticized the CCP for escalating its violent actions over the past three decades since the Tiananmen Massacre. She highlighted the human rights abuses, ethnic cleansing of the Uighur community, suppression of Tibetan religion, language, and culture, unwarranted prosecution of Hong Kong democracy advocates, and increased provocations against Taiwan.
Pelosi also emphasized that the tank and military forces in Beijing may have suppressed the demonstration on Tiananmen Square in 1989, but they could not silence the people’s calls for dignity and democracy, which continue to resonate to this day.
Kenneth Lee, representing the Hong Kong community in the San Francisco Bay Area, stated that the CCP has spent 36 years trying to convince the world that nothing happened on June 4, 1989. He stressed that the children who never returned home and the cries heard in the darkness should not be forgotten. He urged for collective efforts to preserve a never-dying beacon of hope by speaking up for those silenced voices.
Tenzin Pema, representative of the Tibetan Youth Association of San Francisco, emphasized that Tibet is referred to by the CCP with a colonial term whereas Tibetans identify their land as Tibet. She expressed concerns about the cultural genocide, economic marginalization, environmental degradation, and erosion of religion occurring in Tibet under the CCP regime. Moreover, she mentioned the forced secularization of monks and the destruction of thousands of monasteries in Tibet. Pema cited the self-immolation protests by 150 Tibetans against the illegal occupation by the CCP.
The Sparkling Stars Office in Northern California participated in the publicity work for the candlelight vigil. Ginger Duan, head of the office, described the attendees as the “orphans of Tiananmen Square,” Hongkongers who lost their home, Uighurs who lost their freedom, and Tibetans who set themselves ablaze in protest. She encouraged more people to join forces, work together, and take concrete actions for democracy and freedom in China.
Zheng Yun, one of the organizers of this year’s candlelight event, revealed a significant difference compared to previous years with the presence of a larger number of young people, including those born after the 1990s. Yun noted that these young individuals hold progressive views and exhibit high levels of efficiency and activism.
Miao Qing, responsible for propaganda work at the San Francisco branch of the China Democracy Party, arrived in the US from China in February. In an interview, Miao emphasized that the remembrance of June 4 in today’s era should serve as a platform for Tibetans, Uighurs, Hongkongers, and all groups persecuted by the CCP to unite. He called for collaboration under the banner of anti-Communism to collectively strive for their causes.
Yao Rongtao, one of the volunteer coordinators for the candlelight vigil, mentioned in an interview that he only learned about the truth of the Tiananmen Massacre after leaving China. He expressed his willingness to contribute his modest efforts to help the Chinese people overthrow the CCP’s rule.
Musician Yu Bo presented a new song he composed to commemorate the June 4 events titled “Eternal Light” during the gathering. The lyrics of the song encapsulate the enduring truth that will never fade or be forgotten. It envisions a day where dreams awaken, light illuminates, and people stand together in the brightness, embracing freedom.
Throughout the evening, attendees repeatedly chanted slogans like “Free Uighurs,” “Free Tibet,” “Free Hong Kong,” “Down with the CCP,” and “Free China.”