Hong Kong police arrest defiant Tiananmen vigil leaders

HONG KONG (AP) — 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 Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China had openly challenged the enforcement of a 14-month-old national security law, saying the police are arbitrarily labeling pro-democracy organizations as foreign agents. Police warned that failure to comply could result in a fine and up to six months in jail. The alliance organized candlelight vigils on the anniversary of China’s Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, but the event has been banned for the past two years. Hong Kong authorities have cracked down on dissent following mass anti-government protests in 2019.