the annual candlelight vigil at the victoria park among other activities has been the most iconic event organised by the alliance, as it is the most attended consecutive commemoration of the 1989 protests. tensions were high in 1996, which marked the seventh anniversary of the tiananmen massacre. residents were not sure whether or not the annual demonstration would continue after the upcoming 1997 sovereignty handover of hong kong to the people's republic of china. the eighth anniversary, in 1997, was just before the handover. people in the demonstration speculated that it might turn out to be the last vigil. in 1997, then chief executive-elect tung chee-hwa attempted to pressurise szeto into not organising the vigil, and szeto refused to speak to tung ever again after three such attempts.