A leader of the 1989 Tiananmen protests has been barred from entering Hong Kong to attend the memorial of a democracy icon who helped Chinese dissidents flee the country, a legislator said Wednesday.

Activist Wang Dan, who now lives in Taiwan, applied to enter the city following the death earlier this month of Szeto Wah, who died of cancer at the age of 79.

Democracy activists in the Chinese territory rallied in support of Wang's application.

"We sincerely hope they can make a last effort (to allow him to come)," union legislator Lee Cheuk-yan told local television Wednesday, confirming that Wang had been refused entry to Hong Kong.

"Him coming would be a good thing."

Another high-profile activist living in Taiwan, Wu'er Kaixi, had also petitioned immigration officials for the right to attend and told AFP Wednesday that he "still holds out hope to be able to pay last respects to Uncle Wah".