This activity was organized by the Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars in the US (IFCSS) and co-sponsored by the Wei Jingsheng Foundation and other organizations. The location was at the Victims of Communism Memorial marked by a replica of the Goddess of Democracy that once stood in Tiananmen Square during the 1989 democracy movement in China. It was a perfect place to hold the activity.

After the opening remarks given by YI Danxuan, the Council Chair of IFCSS, a recorded message from Prof. DING Zilin, representing the "Tiananmen Mothers" was broadcasted. Prof. Ding said that the Chinese government has been trying to cover up and deny what they did 21 years ago. The people will never forget the crime they committed. Prof. Ding thanked IFCSS for holding the June4 memorial every year for the last 21 years.

The Chairman of the Victims of Communism Foundation, Dr. Lee Edwards, also spoke at the gathering. He introduced the on-line Global Communism Museum.

IFCSS' Freedom Spirit Award for this year was given to Dr. Wang Bingzhang, one of the earliest overseas Chinese movement leaders, who is still in jail in China. Ms. WAND Tianan, the daughter of Dr. Wang accepted the award for her father.

Nearly 50 people participated in the gathering. An American young man at the gathering said that current suppression in Tibet and Xinjiang indicates that the Chinese government did not learn anything from what happened 21 years ago. He said that he did not want to see this happen again.

June 5, 2010