Thursday, June 4, 2009

Tiananmen Square Anniversary



This unidentified mans act of defiance and bravery was (and still is)a haunting reminder to the heroism within us all. I would hope i could stand tall against insurmountable odds with my head held high. A shame it seems it was all for naught.

from msn-
"In April 1989, a former leader of Chinese Communist Party died. Hu Yaobang was forced to resign because of his democratic leanings. On his death, a contingent of students and intellectuals gathered to demand that the party reassess his legacy. That gathering turned into a protest calling for dramatic and democratic reforms."

"In Beijing, what began as largely a student protest grew to an estimated 1 million Chinese on the streets. A statue that largey resembles the Statue of Liberty was erected and several thousand protesters began a second form of civil disobedience, a hunger strike."

"Armed troops and tanks entered the square, and shooting began. China said 241 people died. American media said it was as many as 800. Chinese Red Cross said 2,600; Amnesty International 1,000."

"June 4 incident": That's what it's called in China. References to the protest had been removed from literature, and the Chinese government continues to censor Tiananmen Square information. Ahead of the anniversary, it also blocked access to Twitter, Flickr, Hotmail and some blogging Web sites."

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