These Two Chinese Athletes Hugged Each Other After A Race And Got Censored Over Tiananmen Square
The women wore stickers with their lane numbers and formed the numbers “64”, a common reference to the Tiananmen Square Massacre which happened on June 4, 1989.
Chinese authorities have censored a photo capturing two women Chinese athletes hugging each other after a race over an accidental reference to the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
Lin Yuwei, 24, and Wu Yanni, 26, who both competed in the women’s 100-meter hurdles final at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on Sunday, October 1, embraced each other after Lin won Gold.
The Asian Games, held every four years in the even years between the Olympic Games, is recognized as the world’s second-largest multi-sport competition after the Olympics.
In the photo that has since mostly been taken off on Weibo, one of China’s largest social media platforms, the women both wore stickers showing their lane numbers – 6 for Lin and 4 for Wu – forming the numbers “64”, turning their celebratory moment into a controversial situation.
The number “64” is a common reference to the Tiananmen Square Massacre in Beijing which happened on June 4, 1989.
During the massacre, Chinese government troops armed with assault rifles and tanks killed thousands of student-led pro-democracy demonstrators.
The incident is strictly censored in the mainland; any vague or unintentional references are removed from the internet, and anyone who openly commemorates the incident is subject to arrest.
