#6431 We do not forget

This year, the government refused to allow the candlelight vigil at Victoria Park to go ahead.  My wife and I attended a mass commemorating June 4 at St. Francis’ Church in Shek Kip Mei instead.  

The sanctuary was completely filled long before the mass started.  The congregation might look sparse only because we had to sit one meter apart.  Many had to stand at the back and even outside.   There were people of all ages, youths, adults, elderly. If anything, there seemed to be more adults than youths. 

In 1989, we were in Ottawa.  My wife was pregnant with our first daughter.  We followed the massacre through television and the text messages coming from Mainland China.  We had already been protesting at the Chinese Embassy many times in the months prior.  On the Sunday following the massacre the whole church prayed together on Sunday, and then we marched to the Chinese Embassy across town to protest.  

We dare not forget and we will not forget.  

Often during this time of the year, I would be taking students to overseas service-learning projects, usually in Cambodia but sometimes in Rwanda and other countries.   Hence unable to attend the candlelight vigil.  My wife would go with our daughters or friends.  This year I was planning to go to Cambodia until coronavirus forced the plan to be cancelled.  And then the police banned the vigil. 

I dug up some photos from past years to help us remember.   

In 2011, I was on Tiananmen Square on June 10. I remembered. 

In 2012, I participated in a march to commemorate Li, who was imprisoned and eventually died in prison for remembering June 4. 

In 2014, the Canadian Consulate in Hong Kong remembered. 

In 2017, we went to the candlelight vigil in Victoria Park and there were a lot of people 

and flowers. 

In 2020, we went to church when we could not go to the candlelight vigil. 

We do not forget and we will not forget.