Square

Lee and Chow were also leaders of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance (HKA).

The HKA was founded in May 1989 to support students holding pro-democracy rallies. Weeks later, the Communist Party crushed pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square with troops and tanks. Estimates of the death toll range from a few hundred to many thousands.

Over the next three decades, HKA called on authorities to accept responsibility for the crackdown, free dissidents and introduce democratic reform.

The Alliance’s leaders were charged in 2021 and have been behind bars since.

Rights group Amnesty International has said the case “relies on vague, overly broad and arbitrary definitions of ‘subversion'”.

Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director, said Chow and Lee had “not committed any recognisable crime”.

“Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan are prisoners of conscience who should never have been prosecuted in the first place. They must be released immediately and unconditionally”, she added.

In a separate case, Chow was arrested in June 2021 for “inciting” the public to take part in that year’s vigil and later found guilty.

However, Hong Kong’s top court overturned that conviction in 2022, with a judge ruling the police hadn’t properly justified the vigil’s ban.

Chow Hang-tung spoke to the BBC in 2021, weeks before her arrest on 4 June 2022.

“I am prepared to be arrested. That is how Hong Kong is now,” she had said.

“I am willing to pay the price for fighting for democracy”.

The next Los Angeles City Councilmember to represent the West San Fernando Valley will either be a former small business owner backed by the Police Protective League or a career public-sector staffer who has racked up a long list of endorsements from unions and Democratic lawmakers.

Tim Gaspar, 44, founded an eponymous insurance agency in the Valley, which he sold in 2021and is now campaigning full time to win the Third District council seat, according to campaign spokesperson Haley Townes. He was the top vote-getter in the June 2 primary, garnering 46.1% of the vote.

Barri Worth Girvan, 43, was a close second with 42.5% of the vote. She is the director of community affairs for Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath and previously held staff positions with former L.A. mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former Democratic state senator Bob Hertzberg.

The winner of the Nov. 3 runoff will replace termed-out council member Bob Blumenfield, who recently endorsed Gaspar, as did Christopher Celona, the third-place finisher in the primary.

“We feel like those are the endorsements that resonate with voters here,” Gaspar told a group of voters at a recent campaign event.

L.A. City Council Candidate Tim Gaspar speaks with Dr. Lawrence Kaplan during a Kids on the Spectrum Bowling League event at Lucky Strike Bowling Alley this month.

(Arwen Clemans/Los Angeles Times)

In an interview, Gaspar said the City Council could benefit from his business experience to counter members whose backgrounds are mostly in public policy or community organizing.

“They’re missing the business perspective,” he said. “Sometimes you need to do things that might be unpopular if it’s going to be something that benefits the greater good. A healthy economy is the tide that raises all ships.”

L.A. City Council Barri Worth Girvan chats wth LAPD Capt. Rudy Lopez while greeting voters during a recent neighborhood National Night Out event in Canoga Park’s Lanark Park.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Worth Girvan, by contrast, says her years of experience in the public sector will ensure that she can best navigate City Hall to advocate for the district’s interests.

“Delivering core city services is my bread and butter,” she said in an interview. “If your trash isn’t picked up, if your trees aren’t trimmed, if your street lights aren’t working, if you pick up the phone to call 911 and nobody responds, then not only is your neighborhood not safe, but your city is not working for you.”

Gaspar has a huge lead in fund-raising, reporting more than $180,000 in donations to his runoff campaign through June 30, compared with about $31,000 for Worth Girvan.

In addition, companies and special interests including Airbnb, Uber, the California Apartment Association, the L.A. Police Protective League and IBEW Local 18 spent $1.39 million through independent expenditure committees in the primary race.

Airbnb spokeswoman Nicolette Velasquez said the candidates it backs, including Gaspar, are in favor of expanding short-term rental policies to allow homeowners to supplement their income by renting out their homes. Hotel companies and the unions representing hotel workers oppose such expanding the short-term rental market out of existing housing stock.

Worth Girvan asserts that her second-place finish in June was effectively “a virtual tie” given all the money companies and others spent to back Gaspar.

“We were massively outspent with that kind of money, but the voters clearly spoke, and we’re expecting an even broader electorate in the general,” she said.

Tim Gaspar outside the Lucky Strike Bowling Alley.

(Arwen Clemans/Los Angeles Times)

Gaspar’s contributors in the runoff include billionaire developer Rick Caruso and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Worth Girvan has picked up donations from state Assemblyman Mark Gonzalez (D-Boyle Heights), former Democratic state Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and former Los Angeles City Council member David Ryu, according to her filing.

She also touts endorsements from a long list of Democratic lawmakers, including state Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) and Rep. Luz Rivas (D-North Hollywood)., and has strong backing from labor including the local chapters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Service Employees International Union and the including the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.

“Barri was a clear choice for us,” said Devin Osiri, Chief of Staff at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. “Our unions have actually worked with her at all three levels of government. Her reputation, her professional resume from the Valley and her personal story are just more reflective of the LA Federation of Labor.”

The two candidates differ on housing policy.

Barri Worth Girvan meets voters at the National Night Out event in Canoga Park’s Lanark Park.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Worth Girvan said she supports more housing development, particularly near transit lines, saying the West Valley “needs to do our part” to scale up construction and bring housing prices down.

Gaspar said District 3 is already doing its part to bring in new housing development in areas like Warner Center, and remains skeptical of increasing density in single-family home neighborhoods.

He opposes rent control and some of the city’s current tenant protections, and said at the campaign event that he has a “zero tolerance policy” for homeless encampments.

Both candidates say public safety is their top priority, and they support expanding the Los Angeles Police Department.

Madison Square Garden. Decades before the July 3 wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce catapulted the venue into a new category of global prominence, the Manhattan arena loomed large as a symbol of success.

For the select list of comedians who have sold out the place, filling the arena is considered a pinnacle of achievement. It’s a triumph so encompassing that it inspired the central plot of the final season of “Hacks,” as Jean Smart’s veteran stand-up Deborah Vance demonstrates she’ll do just about anything to sell out the Garden — including putting herself in a glass cube above the Las Vegas Strip and almost perishing up there. “She needs a legacy-defining win, something that’s going to be the inarguable lead to her obituary,” says Paul W. Downs during a Zoom call with his “Hacks” co-creators Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky.

“With Deborah, she likes to go big and Madison Square Garden is big,” adds Statsky. “It’s a testament to what an iconic place it is because we were like, ‘There’s one option here and it’s MSG.’”

So what does it really take to sell out MSG? Back in the day, a comedian could go on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and become nationally known. Now, YouTube subscribers and TikTok followers are part of the equation, along with specials on Netflix, HBO and Hulu. The road to MSG is a long one, with few shortcuts. It usually begins with years of playing club dates, then theaters and larger arenas, creating demand. But the payoff is substantial: With 15,000 to 20,000 seats depending on the configuration, a single night can gross up to $3 million in ticket sales. Then, a streaming platform might fork over $5 million to $20 million for exclusive taped performance rights. Plus, there’s the unquantifiable: “Venues often come and go,” says Aniello, “but Madison Square Garden feels like forever. The name itself has remained protected as this kind of sacred thing.”

Only about 20 comedians have ever achieved the milestone, including the likes of Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin, Chris Rock and Amy Schumer — the only woman in this elite group. The Envelope spoke to six of them to understand what it takes and how it feels to reach comedy’s Promised Land.

Max Amini

(Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)

Number of sellouts: 1
Date: Feb. 15, 2026
Max Amini Tour

“No one sells out Madison Square Garden alone. Behind every artist is an audience that believed before the rest of the world caught on, a family that sacrificed, a team that worked tirelessly. I’m incredibly proud of my team because they believed in this vision long before Madison Square Garden was even a conversation. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is that success is never built by one person. It’s built by people who trust one another, challenge one another, and refuse to let each other settle for less than excellence.”

Nate Bargatze

(Jason Kempin / Getty Images)

Number of sellouts: 3
Dates: Sept. 26 and 27 (two shows), 2025
Big Dumb Eyes World Tour

“I believed I could make a career out of stand-up comedy when I was in my 20s, even when it sounded like a crazy thing to do. I was just hoping somebody would come to the show. You spend so many years doing clubs it’s hard to picture anything bigger than that, until it happens. … Selling out Madison Square Garden, let alone selling it out three times, wasn’t something I ever expected, but it was the result of believing in stand-up, believing people still want to get out of the house and laugh together, and believing in hard work each and every day.”

Dane Cook

(Jesse Grant / Getty Images)

Number of sellouts: 3
Dates: Nov. 12, 2006 (two shows) and Nov. 9, 2009
Rough Around the Edges Tour, Isolated Incident Tour

“When I think of history and legendary artists selling out, it’s the greatest honor of my career. To get to experience that even once, it’s an achievement that forever changes how your career is viewed. I’m standing backstage in the hallway looking at all the photos, it’s like getting an energy massage, realizing the history of this incredible edifice. In my quiet moment pre-show, realizing I’m in rare air, I wanted to enjoy it as much as possible. It is a privilege. When I let the crowd know we got there together, I can still feel the energy in my chest.”

Jim Gaffigan

(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images for Bob Woodruff Foundation)

Number of sellouts: 1
Date: Dec. 12, 2015
Contagious Tour

“I never thought selling out MSG was a possibility. When I started stand-up it was an unrealistic goal for any comedian. Having lived in NYC for three decades, MSG had exceeded its legendary status for me. MSG is where I brought my kids to see the Knicks and Rangers play. It’s where I saw Bruce Springsteen. Pulling off a sellout seemed like a gamble but worth it. There is something special about an audience seeing you at MSG. I think people coming to the show understand there is a special-event status to a show at MSG.”

Matt Rife

(Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

Number of sellouts: 2
Dates: July 18 and 19, 2025
Stay Golden World Tour

“MSG is the top of the mountain. It symbolizes the pinnacle of ticket-selling success as a comedian. If you can sell out the world’s most famous arena, in the toughest city in America … you’ve made it. For me it was beyond a dream come true. Growing up I always thought selling out comedy clubs was the ceiling for success for stand-up comedians. I never thought I’d be one of them. To not only sell it out twice, but to be the youngest comedian to ever sell it out … it’s still hard to comprehend. It feels like a literal dream, that I can’t remember if it actually happened or not.”

Andrew Schulz

(Bryan Bedder / Getty Images for Food Bank for NYC)

Number of sellouts: 2
Dates: May 3 and 4, 2024
The Life Tour

“I am born and raised in NYC. My dad had so much respect for MSG he would make me wear a collared shirt whenever we stepped in that building. This place had holy significance to me before I knew I wanted to be a comic. Once I decided to make comedy my life I had one goal. It was to sell out MSG … wearing a collared shirt of course. I thought about walking onto that stage every single day for 17 years straight. And then it happened. Dreams do come true.”

NEW YORK — Manhattan was sweltering at 100 degrees and preparing to mark 250 years since the United States declared independence from Great Britain.

But on Friday, the city seemed transfixed by what might be the closest the country gets to a royal wedding: The nuptials of pop superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

Madison Square Garden and its surrounding streets — 31st and 33rd streets toward 6th and 8th avenues — were blocked off as guests arrived for the event. Fans craned their necks for any views they could get from the street.

The world-famous arena is reportedly set to transform into a “massive castle,” surrounded by a garden fit for pop culture’s royal couple, both 36. While the complete event details and guest list have been kept a secret, the Associated Press reportedly obtained a city permit showing Friday’s supposed wedding event is set to start at 5 p.m. Eastern time and could last until 4 a.m.

Secrecy surrounding the event is so tight that the reported venue has been cordoned off with privacy tents, tarps and barricades. But neither those measures nor Friday’s sizzling temperatures stopped fans from gathering in hopes of sneaking a peak at their longtime idol and sending Swift their well wishes.

“I heard we won’t be able to see her either way because the spot that they picked is going to be covered,” said Sarah Shrestha, 21, an Anaheim resident visiting friends in Manhattan.

Madison Square Garden was a good venue for the couple’s nuptials because “in interviews, [Swift] said she wanted to be able to invite everybody to the wedding so it’s still a good venue for that,” she added.

Ellie Kitschke, 13, and her mother, Mymy Nguyen, 38, were visiting New York City from Adelaide, Australia.

Ellie said she thought it was a weird choice for the venue.

“It’s like a stadium. I get that no one can come inside but I think it’s a bit much blocking up the roads,” added Ellie, who attended the Eras tour in Sydney with her mom.

The two said they also thought it was odd Swift didn’t choose a venue or date that included her lucky number, 13, saying it “didn’t add up.”

“If she does get married, we wish her well,” Nguyen said. “We’d love to see her.”

Emma Rasco, 19, was also surprised by the choice in wedding venue.

“When I heard it, I was like, that’s definitely a choice,” Rasco said. “It’s a little unconventional and very forward-facing.”

Swift and Kelce announced their engagement in August after two years of dating, to much fanfare. “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” Swift wrote in the caption of her Instagram post.

While the Swift camp didn’t release a guest list, various news organizations staked out local hotels and began counting bold-face names headed to the event. The New York Times obtained a schedule for the wedding, which included a cocktail hour followed by a 5 p.m. wedding and reception. The event was set to end at 2 a.m.

The couple were first linked in July 2023, when Kelce mentioned his desire to meet the pop superstar on his podcast, “New Heights,” and made their relationship public that September. Their coupling instantly captured the attention and hearts of fans around the world, and Swift’s presence at Chiefs games was even credited with bolstering female interest in NFL football.

Kelly, 36, is a longtime Swift fan who said she grew up listening to her music. She came from her apartment on the Upper West Side to 33rd Street to see if she could catch a glimpse of Swift entering the stadium.

“I feel like I was the same peer group growing up with her, and am just so happy that she had her happy ending,” she said. “I want to see what a Royal American wedding looks like.”

Kelly said she admires Swift and Kelce for donating to charity. The couple donated a combined $26 million to 20 local and national charities ahead of their presumed nuptials, Swift’s publicist told Business Insider.

“They really are a positive influence,” she added.

Kelly said Madison Square Garden made sense as a venue for the privacy and security of guests.

“It’s not an ideal wedding venue but they’re both creative and have their own stages in a way,” she added.

By mid-afteroon Friday, dozens of fans clustered near MSG as black SUVs and vans with tinted windows, presumably filled with wedding attendees, turned the corner toward the stadium.

New York Police Department sources told The Times that streets will be blocked off all Friday and should return to normal by Saturday morning.

Back in October, Swift told TV host Graham Norton that she was casting a wide net with the guest list, joking that she would invite “anyone I’ve ever talked to.”

“I shouldn’t have said any of that,” she added.

Pulling off an event of this magnitude — which many described as America’s “royal wedding” — required considerable preparation, with a particular emphasis on privacy. Guests were reportedly required to sign nondisclosure agreements before receiving any event details (although the NDAs were said not to have included any penalties for violating the terms).

While the Swift camp didn’t release a guest list, various news organizations staked out local hotels and Madison Square Garden and began counting bold-face names headed to the event. The New York Times obtained a schedule for the wedding, which included a cocktail hour followed by a 5 p.m. wedding and reception. The event was set to end at 2 a.m.

The couple were also linked to wedding planner Mark Seed, who previously orchestrated the 2023 wedding of Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley and the 2019 wedding of Jennifer Lawrence and Cooke Maroney. Seed is known for his elaborate event builds and notable discretion.

On the Tuesday before the event, workers were photographed installing a red carpet outside of MSG, which one individual allegedly said was for “a wedding,” according to Page Six. It was quickly removed that same day.

Lin reported from New York; Garcia and Eloise Rollins-Fife from Los Angeles.

WITH thousands of people flocking to the seaside to cool off, beach safety is all the more important.

And there is one phenomenon called “square waves” which are extremely dangerous for anyone in the water.

Also called cross waves, the unusual wave pattern is formed when two different weather systems collide, creating the checkered effect.

This is because of the waves hitting each other as the they come rom different directions.

While they may look pretty, or even not very strong, they actually are much more dangerous than they appear.

They are similar to rip tides which can make it hard for people to get out of the water.

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They can be found both close to the shoreline and far out at sea – which has even resulted in causing shipwrecks, according to the European Space Agency.

Some of the places they have been spotted include La Rochelle in France, where they can seen from above via the lighthouse.

Last year, they were also spotted off the coast of Turkey, in the Aegean Sea.

Lisbon in Portugal and Hawaii are all places where they can occur too.

One person previously wrote on social media: “We were always taught to keep an eye out for the ‘squares’ – the grid can pull you back and fourth for hundreds of feet and make it hard to stay calm.”

If you want to avoid the ocean entirely, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best inland beaches in the UK.

NEW YORK — A 51-year-old man fell to his death from an upper deck of Madison Square Garden during a rock concert Saturday night, police said.

Officers responding to a 911 call around 9:51 p.m. found the man unconscious and unresponsive with injuries indicating a fall from an “elevated position,” New York City police said. Police did not say how far the man fell, but said he was in Section 300. They declined to release his name.

The man was with his wife, according to police. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The rock band Goose was performing. In a statement on Facebook, the band said it was “deeply saddened and heartbroken to learn of the tragic event that occurred.”