Foreign reporters needed no special visas or government-issued press cards. The independent media were active and expressed a wide variety of views without restriction. There were no government restrictions on access to the Internet; there was some monitoring of the Internet to combat sexual exploitation of children (see section 6, Children). Commercial Internet service was widely available, including a number of government-supplied wireless (WiFi) "hot spots" and public and commercial venues in which WiFi or other access was provided at no charge to visitors and customers. Individuals and groups could engage in the peaceful expression of views via the Internet, including by e-mail. There were generally no restrictions on academic freedom and cultural events. Some scholars suggested Hong Kong-based academics practiced some self-censorship in their China-related work to preserve good relations and research and lecturing opportunities in the Mainland. The law provides for freedom of assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights in practice. According to International Telecommunication Union statistics for 2008, approximately 67 percent of the SAR's inhabitants used the Internet. The government routinely issued the required permits for public meetings and demonstrations. Approximately 150,000 persons joined the annual vigil commemorating the June 4 Tiananmen massacre, the highest turnout in many years and the largest such event anywhere in China. Approximately 50,000 persons joined the annual July 1 democracy march. On August 14, the High Court (Court of First Instance) granted a judicial review to a shipowner who was prevented from taking activists to the Diaoyu Islands in May. Both events were conducted peacefully. The Marine Department stopped three attempts by the "Action Committee for Defending the Diaoyu Islands" from traveling to the disputed waters (the Japanese claim the islands as the Senkakus). Previous trips by the Action Committee to the Diaoyus in similar vessels had been permitted. The government claimed its decision rested on safety concerns. On August 21, the High Court (Court of First Instance) found that the removal of a pro-Tibetan protest led by student activist Christina Chan Hau-man during the Olympic Torch relay May 2008 was justified. Officers protecting Chan from counterdemonstrators felt they could not adequately guarantee the safety of Chan's group, spectators, and the police themselves.
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As each day unfolds, I uncover little pieces of Mel’s soul; it’s like being an archaeologist and psychologist all at once. In Niagara Falls, I learn she’s petrified of heights. I’d reserved a room on the fifteenth floor of the elegant Fallsview Hilton on the Canadian side of the Falls, a step up from our usual Hampton Inn. It was too much for Mel. "I don’t think I can be up this high," she confesses. The spacious room has a sweeping view of Horseshoe Falls, and the pounding crash of water is almost palpable. We switch to a room on the third floor, facing a brick wall. Her fear stems from a childhood incident in which she nearly fell from a bridge. It doesn’t matter; we spend most of our time sightseeing outdoors. "I white-knuckled it on the bridge into Ontario last night," Mel says. I hadn’t. "I was pretty focused on border patrol at that point," I laugh, recalling the weekend drives to Quebec City with friends. Zip liners rocket past, their faces a mixture of grins and sheer terror. "Things change," says Mel. On our last night, the night before we arrive in Maine, we stay with old friends of mine, who I’ve known since the hazy days of high school. They’re in western Massachusetts now, have a son, careers and a ranch house with a basement full of turntables and old vinyl. Scott’s got a thirst for music; everything I know about Grand Funk and Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath, I learned from him all those years ago, before rock was called classic.