曼彻斯特，2025年8月31日 —— 在连绵的秋雨中，数十名抗议者走上曼彻斯特街头，纪念六年前震动香港的“8·31 太子站事件”。这场由中国民主党英国总部发起的游行，于下午三时在 St. Peter’s Square 集合，随后沿市中心主要街道环行，吸引了路人的目光与媒体的关注。
雨势未阻，标语在水迹中沉重
天空自午后开始倾盆大雨，游行队伍中的纸质横幅和布制标语很快被雨水浸透，墨迹在水迹中模糊，但反而让口号更显悲怆。抗议者身披雨衣，或仅凭湿透的衣衫继续前行，步伐坚定有序。
口号声此起彼伏——“Remember 8·31”，“Say No to CCP Evil”，“光复香港，时代革命”。雨声与呼喊交织，使整个游行氛围更显肃穆。
一名组织者对记者表示：“六年过去，记忆不能被冲淡。即使天气恶劣，我们仍要走在街上，告诉世界，那一夜的真相不能被遗忘。”
路人驻足，反应各异
游行途经市中心繁忙的购物区与餐饮街，许多路人停下脚步，拿起手机拍照。有人与抗议者短暂交谈，表示支持言论自由与集会权利；也有人承认并不熟悉“8·31”的背景，但对示威者的坚持感到“敬佩”。
一位当地年轻人说：“我只听过一些关于香港抗议的新闻，但今天看到他们冒雨游行，能感觉到这件事对他们的意义非常重大。”
横幅与信息传递
示威者手举自制的横幅，上面写着“Stop Police Brutality”，“Justice for Hong Kong”，以及“Say No to CCP Evil”。有的标语以中英文并列，有的以粤语拼音呈现。组织方在集会现场也发放传单，介绍 2019 年事件经过，并解释相关的政治与人权诉求。
此外，活动还推广两项正在英国国会进行的联署行动：
1. BNO 平权联署 —— 呼吁给予 BNO（英国国民（海外）护照）持有者更大权利保障；
2. “外国影响力登记计划”联署 —— 倡议将中国与香港列入“进阶级别”监管对象。
组织者强调，街头行动与制度内推动并行，是海外社群长期抗争的一部分。
背景：六年前的“8·31 太子站事件”
2019年8月31日晚，香港地铁太子站内爆发警民冲突。警方进入车厢与月台驱散抗议者，并对乘客进行拘捕和武力执法。事件现场画面混乱，引发“警察在站内殴打甚至打死市民”的争议。尽管当局否认死亡个案，但事件从此被抗议者称为“8·31 黑警打死人”，并成为香港民主运动的象征性节点。
自那以后，每年 8 月 31 日，香港以及流散海外的港人社群都会举行纪念活动，要求“真相、问责与公义”。
雨中的坚持
那天的曼彻斯特，灰色的天幕与淋湿的横幅构成了游行现场最强烈的视觉符号。参与者的队伍不算庞大，但口号整齐、情绪凝重。有人默默举着花伞陪伴队伍，有人用力挥动早已湿透的布旗。
在雨声掩盖下，仍能听见一句反复被喊出的口号：“Never Forget, Never Forgive.”
对于这些远离家乡的抗议者而言，这场游行既是一种纪念，也是延续六年的坚持。正如一位参与者所言：“就算人少，就算在雨中，我们仍然要把声音传出去。因为记忆，本身就是抵抗。”
这是一场在大雨中完成的纪念行动。不同于喧闹的大型集会，它更像是一次沉默的行军。横幅上的墨迹被雨水冲散，却让人更直观地感受到——对于这些人而言，六年前的那一夜，仍是无法磨灭的痛点与理由。
中国民主党英国总部供稿
总指挥：王魏晋
副总指挥：杨体和
参与党员名单：周凤雄、钟淑琴、杨体和、邬勇、温作团、王涛、赵武。
Commemoration in the Rain – UK Headquarters of the China Democracy Party Holds 8·31 Sixth Anniversary Protest in Manchester
Manchester, 31 August 2025 — In persistent autumn rain, dozens of protesters took to the streets of Manchester to mark the sixth anniversary of Hong Kong’s “8·31 Prince Edward Station Incident”. Organised by the UK Headquarters of the China Democracy Party (CDP UK), the march began at 3 p.m. in St Peter’s Square and proceeded through the city centre’s main streets, drawing the attention of passers-by and local media.
Rain did not halt the march – banners heavy with water
From midday, heavy rain poured down. Within minutes, paper placards and cloth banners were soaked, their ink bleeding into water stains — a poignant symbol of grief. Protesters pressed on in raincoats or drenched clothing, their steps steady and ordered.
Chants echoed through the rain: “Remember 8·31”, “Say No to CCP Evil”, “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times”. The sound of rainfall mingled with the cries, heightening the solemnity of the demonstration.
One organiser told reporters: “Six years have passed, but memory cannot be washed away. Even in such weather, we must walk the streets to tell the world that the truth of that night must not be forgotten.”
Mixed reactions from onlookers
The march passed through Manchester’s bustling shopping and dining districts. Many pedestrians stopped to watch, taking photos with their phones. Some briefly conversed with protesters, expressing support for free speech and the right to assembly. Others admitted they were unfamiliar with “8·31” but said they were “moved by the persistence” of the demonstrators.
One young local commented: “I only knew a little about the Hong Kong protests from the news, but seeing them march in the rain today, you could feel how important this is to them.”
Banners and message-sharing
Protesters carried homemade banners reading “Stop Police Brutality”, “Justice for Hong Kong”, and “Say No to CCP Evil”. Some were bilingual in Chinese and English, others written in Cantonese pinyin. Organisers distributed leaflets recounting the events of 2019 and explaining their political and human rights demands.
The protest also promoted two parliamentary petitions in the UK:
- BNO Equality Petition — calling for greater rights and protections for holders of British National (Overseas) passports.
- Foreign Influence Registration Scheme Petition — urging the government to list China and Hong Kong as “enhanced” risk categories.
Organisers stressed that street actions and institutional lobbying were two sides of the same struggle for the overseas community.
Background: the 8·31 Prince Edward Station Incident
On the night of 31 August 2019, violent clashes erupted inside Hong Kong’s Prince Edward MTR station. Police stormed train carriages and platforms to disperse protesters, detaining and assaulting passengers. Chaotic footage led to widespread belief that civilians were beaten to death inside the station, an allegation authorities denied. Nonetheless, the incident became immortalised among protesters as “8·31 police killings” and remains a powerful symbol of the Hong Kong democracy movement.
Since then, every year on 31 August, Hong Kongers both at home and abroad have held commemorations, demanding truth, accountability, and justice.
Persistence in the rain
That day in Manchester, the grey skies and rain-soaked banners formed the most striking images. Though the crowd was not large, their chants were unified, their emotions sombre. Some locals silently walked alongside with umbrellas; others waved sodden flags with determination.
Through the patter of rain, one phrase stood out, repeated again and again: “Never Forget, Never Forgive.”
For these exiled protesters, the march was both commemoration and continuation. As one participant remarked: “Even if we are few, even in the rain, we must carry our voices. Because memory itself is resistance.”
It was a commemoration carried out under heavy rain. Unlike loud mass rallies, it resembled a silent march of remembrance. The ink washed away from the banners only reinforced the message: for these people, that night six years ago remains an unhealed wound — and an enduring reason to resist.
Submitted by the UK Headquarters of the China Democracy Party
Commander: Wang Weijin
Deputy Commander: Yang Tihe
Participating Members: Zhou Fengxiong, Zhong Shuqin, Yang Tihe, Wu Yong, Wen Zuotuan, Wang Tao, Zhao Wu.
