With thoroughness and speed, police in Beijing rounded up participants in a private gathering, held on May 3, that marked the 25th anniversary of the 1989 protests, which were ended by an army massacre of civilians in the streets of that city. Of the 15 or so in attendance that day, a few were merely questioned and warned, but at least five, including prominent human-rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang, were taken into custody. One person who was present at the event has disappeared.
Every year during the “sensitive period,” the run-up to the anniversary of “Tiananmen,” Beijing detains activists or puts them under house arrest. Human-rights leaders tell us that the Communist party’s actions are meant to instill fear among those who might try to commemorate the massacre or mourn its victims, which of course is true. It is also true that no matter how many are taken away, the community of Tiananmen participants, now dwindling in number, will never forget the hope and agony of the “Beijing Spring” of 1989.
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