As Hong Kong police arrested people commemorating the 35th anniversary of China's deadly crackdown at Tiananmen Square, an old photo circulated in social media posts that falsely claimed it showed a woman holding a vigil in defiance of law enforcement in 2024. The picture was in fact taken in 2021 and showed Clara Cheung -- an independent artist who has since moved to the United Kingdom -- marking the anniversary that year.Screenshot of the false X post.
But the annual vigil, which was held in the city's Victoria Park and drew tens of thousands of people for decades, has been banned since Beijing imposed a national security law to quell dissent in 2020. According to the photo caption, it shows a woman taking part in an art performance in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay area to mourn Tiananmen crackdown victims after authorities banned an annual vigil and vowed to stamp out any protests come the anniversary on June 4.The webpage shows various photos of the woman, identified as Clara Cheung, placing white chrysanthemums in the street.