Civil Disobedience: Tiananmen Square

1. Civil Disobedience: Tiananmen Square Morris Armstrong 2A

2. Timeline Before • April 15, 1989: Hu Yaobang, a former communist party leader, dies. Hu had worked to move China toward a more open political system and had become a symbol of democratic reform. During • April 18, 1989: Thousands of mourning students march through the capital to Tiananmen Square, calling for a more democratic government. In the weeks that follow, thousands of people join the students in the square to protest against China communist rulers. • May 19, 1989: A rally at Tiananmen Square draws an estimated 1.2 million people. General Secretary of the Chinese communist party, Zhao Zi Yan, appears at the rally and pleads for an end to the demonstrations.

3. Timeline Cont. • May 19, 1989: Premier Li Pend imposes martial law. • June 4, 1989: At about 1 a.m. Chinese troops reach Tiananmen Square. Throughout the day, Chinese troops fire on civilians and students ending the demonstrations. After • June 5, 1999: Approximately 70,000 people in Hong Kong take part in a memorial vigil. • June 4, 2009: Tens of thousands of people commemorate the 20th anniversary of Tiananmen Square at a gathering in Hong Kong. In Beijing, journalists are barred from the square while the government blocks foreign news sites and Twitter.

4. Perceived Injustice • Instead of listening to, and working with the protestors of Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government blocks social media and sends troops to attack everyone at the square all in an attempt to silence the protest.

5. Protest Actions • A march though the capital to Tiananmen Square • A hunger strike in Tiananmen Square • A rally at Tiananmen square • A concert in Tiananmen Square

6. Success or Failure? • The march trough the capital to Tiananmen Square accomplished the goal of letting the protestor’s cause become known to the Chinese government and it also inspired others to join in the protests. • The hunger strike demonstrated by the protestors in Tiananmen Square accomplished the goal of showing the government that they were willing to fight, using non-violence, for a more democratic government in China. • The rally at Tiananmen Square was a success, as it drew the attention and public appearance of an government official whom pleaded for an end to the protests. • The concert at Tiananmen Square was a success, as it showed the Chinese government that the protestors were wiling to disobey the law for their voices to be heard, as Premier Li Peng had recently imposed martial just a month before.

7. Compare and Contrast • “ The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” • “If the machine of government is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law.” ~Henry David Thoreau • These two quotes from Thoreau can accurately describe how the protestors of Tiananmen Square felt about their communist government. The protestors were willing to give up their daily lives to protest day and night for a democratic government, and although sad, some protestors lost their lives forever while fighting for what was right. • Despite the imposed martial law, the protestors persevered, never giving up their pleas, even though they knew of the laws and their soon to come consequences.

8. Example Of Civil Disobedience? • The protest of Tiananmen Square is a good example of civil disobedience because the regular, everyday people of China stood, in non-violence, against the Chinese government and its laws all for the purpose of making their voices heard so as to make the country better for everyone.