By Jill Reilly Heavy security blanketed central Beijing on the 25th anniversary of the bloody suppression of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests today, to stop any attempts to publicly commemorate one of the darkest chapters in recent Chinese history. China allows no public discussion of the events of June 3-4, 1989, when soldiers backed by tanks and armored personnel carriers fought their way into the heart of Beijing, killing hundreds of unarmed protesters and onlookers. The silence in the mainland about the pivotal event that shocked the world contrasted with boisterous commemorations in Hong Kong. Large crowds gathered Wednesday night in the city's Victoria Park for an annual candlelight vigil to remember the Tiananmen victims, holding candles aloft that turned the vast area into a sea of flickering light.
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Heavy security across on the 25th anniversary of the suppression of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests
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June 3-4, 1989 saw soldiers accompanied by tanks killing hundreds of unarmed protesters and onlookers
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Relatives repaid respects at cemeteries or at home, frustrated at being prevented from organising public memorials
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Near the square in Beijing, reporters were told to leave following the daily crack-of-dawn flag-raising ceremony
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The government has largely ignored the relatives' demands for an admission of wrongdoing
In the telephone poll of 1,005 people conducted May 17-22, 48.5 percent of people agreed that 'the @placeholder students did the right thing in the June 4 incident,' down from 54.1 percent a year ago