On June 4, 2025, multiple cities across the UK, including London, Kingston, Manchester, and Birmingham, held events to mark the 36th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
In London, commemorative activities took place both during the day and in the evening, including seminars and street memorials, drawing participants from all walks of life who are concerned with Chinese democracy and human rights.
The daytime seminar brought together scholars, experts, and eyewitnesses of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.
Ma Jian, president of the Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC), attended the event and displayed several rare historical photographs that revealed the truth of what occurred in Tiananmen Square in 1989. He strongly criticized the CCP for its decades-long efforts to suppress the truth, censor speech, and stifle commemorative activities in an attempt to erase history from public memory. “But history will not vanish, and the truth will not be silenced. These images are evidence,” he said.
(background photo by Lixiong, taken at a Beijing hospital on June 4)
At the end of the seminar, Mr. Pan Yongzhong, editor-in-chief of Sino Euro Voices, addressed the attendees. He noted that 36 years have passed, yet the CCP still refuses to admit its crimes of violent repression, making those who continue to speak out for freedom and fight for the truth all the more vital.
In the evening, commemorative activities were held outside the Chinese Embassy in the UK. French sinologist Professor Marie Holzman, who traveled from Paris to participate in the commemoration, said in an interview, “The world today is very chaotic, lacking morality and principles. The true values of society are freedom and equality.”
Ms. Dong, a Chinese Christian living in exile who had personally experienced persecution by the CCP, shared her story: “Thirty-six years ago today, the CCP brutally massacred those young lives. Thirty-six years have passed, the CCP still does not tolerate dissent or religious belief. People are still being arrested, sentenced, or disappeared for their beliefs or for speaking the truth. There is no human rights or religious freedom in China, and the CCP’s persecution of dissent and faith has never stopped.”
Another Christian, Ms. Xiao, remarked, “The Tiananmen Square massacre is not just a piece of history; it’s a reminder. It reminds me of those who are oppressed for their faith and conscience. As a member of a house church, I have personally experienced raids, surveillance, and persecution. Though I know my strength is limited, I still hope events like this will draw continued international attention to China’s worsening human rights situation.”
The events commemorating the 36th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre were not only an effort to preserve the historical truths hidden by the authorities, but also a firm stand in defense of the universal values of democracy, freedom, and human rights.
