Activists ask people to wear black on 24th anniversary of Tiananmen crackdown

June 3, 2013 - A woman reads a book in front of portraits of victims of the crackdown of the June 4, 1989 pro-democracy movement in Beijing's Tiananmen Square at the June 4 Memorial Museum, run by pro-democracy activists at City University in Hong Kong. (AP)

June 3, 2013 - A Chinese policeman reacts as visitors to Tianamen Square wait for security screening near a sign which reads "Exit Square" on the eve of the 24th anniversary of the bloody military crackdown on protesters in Beijing. (AP)

BEIJING – Activists in China are calling on people to wear black on the anniversary of the bloody military crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square.

Beijing-based rights activist Hu Jia said he had been appealing for people to wear black T-shirts on Tuesday or light a candle at home on Monday evening to remember the event.

The Chinese government has never fully disclosed what happened and it remains a taboo topic inside the country. Hundreds, possibly more, were killed.

Hu said he felt the security around this year's event — the first since Xi Jinping became leader — was unprecedented.