CHINESE ACTIVIST
Defiant memorial for Chinese Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo
Supporters of the late democracy activist say they have been barred from leaving their homes or organising commemorative events
Beijing — About 20 close friends of China’s late Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo have held a defiant private memorial in Beijing. Since the prominent democracy activist died of liver cancer in custody last week, his Chinese supporters say they have been barred from leaving their homes or organising commemorative events, while censors have blocked online tributes. But on the seventh day following Liu’s death — an important milestone for the dead in traditional Chinese culture — the group gathered on Wednesday evening for a two-and-half-hour ceremony in which they shared memories of the man. A photograph of the event in Beijing shows about 20 people in a room, holding candles and photos of the writer. An attendee who asked not to be named said state security officers stood guard outside the building, while some mourners were driven to the site in police cars. Public gatherings to commemorate the deaths of prominent dissidents are rare. In the past, those who took part in memorials have been...
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