Democracy Resists Totalitarianism, the World Stands for Freedom — June 4th 33rd Anniversary Memorial Vigil

With June 4th gatherings banned in Hong Kong and Macau, Taiwan had become the only place in the Chinese-speaking world where a commemoration could be held freely and with legal protection on June 4th itself. To comply with pandemic restrictions, the vigil was held in person alongside a simultaneous livestream, running from 6pm to 9pm on the New School for Democracy’s Facebook page. Built around the Pillar of Shame and the theme “democracy resists totalitarianism, the world stands for freedom,” it featured a video address by Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt and short remarks from democracy organizations in Taiwan and abroad.

Programme

June 4th witness Wu Renhua, June 4th participant Wang Dan (by video) and New School for Democracy chair Tseng Chien-yuan (曾建元) reflected on the meaning and legacy of June 4th. Exiled writer Liao Yiwu offered a performance-art tribute to the dead. Zhou Fengsuo of Humanitarian China, Peter Dahlin of Safeguard Defenders, former Hong Kong district councillor Ng Kwun-tai (巫堃泰) and exiled Hong Kong democracy activist Alex Chow each spoke by video. Exiled Hong Kong artist Kacey Wong spoke to Hong Kongers’ determination to resist hegemony, while Jens Galschiøt, creator of the Pillar of Shame, sent a message of solidarity, explaining that he made the sculpture to help the world remember the massacre for good.

At around 7:40pm the Pillar of Shame was re-erected on site. The original stood on the University of Hong Kong campus for 23 years before being dismantled overnight in December 2021 on the grounds that it violated the National Security Law. This reconstruction was made with the artist’s authorization and funded by crowdfunding — a sign that Taiwan would carry on from Hong Kong and not forget June 4th. The vigil also broadcast footage from June 4th commemorations in Hong Kong over the years, and at 8:09pm invited everyone watching to light a candle and observe 64 seconds of silence.

The solidarity segment featured statements from Taiwanese civil society groups and a reading of remarks from the Tiananmen Mothers, along with online contributions from legislators Freddy Lim, Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智), Hung Sun-han (洪申翰), Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟), Tsai Pi-ju (蔡璧如) and Wang Wan-yu (王婉諭), and city councillors Huang Yu-fen (黃郁芬) and Miao Po-ya (苗博雅), who paid tribute to the victims and condemned the Chinese Communist Party’s conduct. The evening closed with a “Milk Tea Alliance” segment on regional democratic solidarity, with short remarks from Sawut (薩伍德) of the Japan Uyghur Association and Lin Hsin-yi (林欣怡) of the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan, calling on the world to pay attention to human rights in China and to people living under authoritarian rule across the region.