As repression increases further in Hong Kong and China under Xi Jinping\u2019s iron rule, protesters in 14 countries and 38 cities staged protests to demand the release of 47 pro-democracy activists on trial in Hong Kong for subversion.The protests were organized by Solidarity Against Repression in China and Hong Kong (SARCHK). On May 31 was the second hearing in the case and prosecutors applied for the case to be transferred to the High Court, which is a clear sign the state wants life sentences meted out, at least for those they regard as most \u201cdangerous\u201d among the 47. For background on the trial of the 47\u00a0read here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n At the same time, the Hong Kong authorities under orders from the Chinese dictatorship have banned this year\u2019s June 4 Tiananmen vigil. This is the anniversary of the 1989 massacre of students and workers in Beijing in which upwards of 1,000 people may have been killed (the death toll is still a \u2018state secret\u2019 in China). Hong Kong has for three decades been the only Chinese city where it was allowed to commemorate the massacre every year and 180,000 attended the last vigil in 2019. Hong Kong police have now warned that joining the candlelight vigil on Friday evening is punishable by five years in prison and merely publicising the event \u2014 for example on a social media account \u2014 is punishable by one year in prison. Media reports in Hong Kong say police are threatening to arrest anyone wearing black or holding a candle on Friday, warning these would now constitute illegal acts.<\/p>\n The 47 includes democracy activists, trade unionists and former legislative counselors,\u00a0among them the veteran left winger and democracy activist \u2018Long Hair\u2019 Leung Kwok-hung.<\/p>\n Together with\u00a0International Socialist Alternative<\/span><\/a>, supporters of the SARCHK campaign\u00a0protested in 36 cities in 14 countries\/regions for the release of the 47 and against the national security law and the CCP dictatorship. In Ireland\u2019s parliament, the Dail, the Socialist Party\u2019s TD Mick Barry raised the case of \u2018Long Hair\u2019 and the 47 in a question to the Prime Minister demanding to know what the Irsh government would do about it. Mick was joined by other left TDs in a protest outside the Dail shown in this\u00a0video<\/span><\/a>. In Manchester, UK, a family from Hong Kong even took a two-hour train journey from Derby to join the protest.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/media1.chinaworker.info\/2021\/06\/194261107_4211489305556494_4376331021897442346_n-300x227.jpeg\")