End for a muddled movement?

Student movements the world over - when they won, or even when they spectacularly failed - have left an indelible mark on society

The evening drizzle that had set in dampened none of the enthusiasm of the crowd that had gathered in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park attending a 4 June remembrance of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. As speakers took their turn on a wet stage, hundreds of earnest young faces came alight in the glow of candles held fervently aloft. They sat quietly, some with parents, as mourners bowed repeatedly before an illuminated memorial, tears streaking many faces.

It was evident that this gathering was an intergenerational mark of solidarity. Yet, incredibly, the main beneficiaries of this public outpouring were conspicuous by their