Tiananmen vigil leaders defying police arrested in Hong Kong

HONG KONG — Four leaders of the group that organized annual Tiananmen Square commemorations in Hong Kong have been arrested after refusing to cooperate in a national security investigation, the group said Wednesday.

The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China said the four were arrested early Wednesday morning.

The alliance organized candlelight vigils in Hong Kong on the anniversary of China’s bloody crackdown on protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989. The event was attended annually by massive crowds, but authorities have banned the vigils for the past two years, saying they violate coronavirus restrictions.

Leaders delivered a letter to police Tuesday rejecting a request for details of the group’s operations and finances. Police earlier warned that failure to comply could result in a fine of 100,000 Hong Kong dollars ($12,900) and up to six months in jail.

Hong Kong authorities have cracked down on dissent following mass anti-government protests in 2019.