Resolute in action, gentle in manners
I have sat here quietly watching over as fellow peers take to the streets in protest of the recent plans to implement fees for local students.
Does this affect me? Nae...
Do I care? aye...
It is an utter disgrace the way University goers, ie, less than 1% of the worlds population took to the streets in protest only to be dubbed as hooligans thus tarnishing the reputations of students nationwide.
Let me first explain the concept of a protest. It is a formal objection or affirmation with earnest solemnity. Now someone spell out where in that very statement did the flinging of chairs and whatnot at the cops and riot police become a necessity. Now a riot on the other hand is a form of civil disorder characterized often by disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority.
My point made? let me re-evoke the scenes through the the visual mediums. after all a picture is apparently 1000 words.
The rightful emotion for a protest IS AND SHOULD BE sadness and displeasure, not anger.
“Anger is just a cowardly extension of sadness. It's a lot easier to be angry at someone than it is to tell them you're hurt.” - Tom Gates
"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned" - Buddha
Now let me first and foremost introduce you spoilt brats who need an excuse to take to the streets in violent protest for an increment in fees. I feel your pain, but, suck it up and deal with it like proper educated people and mount a protest worthy of taking note.
Lets look back in time at how nonviolence, or 'Ahimsa' a Buddhist principle can suppress agression and achieve so much more by striking the right notes.
The one I've read about most recently would be the Tank Man. Now most of you would've not even heard of the Tank Man, but aged 19, this legend stood up to 4 tanks in 1989. Now to those of you who're not well versed with what I would term general knowledge, China back then still had a very closed door policy to the world.
As the military strangled the life and freedom out of every living soul, the few self declared brave ones mounted a violent protest and got arrested to be black-bagged and never heard of. Now this would not happen in the UK due to 'human rights' bull shit, cos lets face it, if it did happen, you whimps would've never taken to the streets to begin with.
This is the story of Tiananmen Square, June 4th 1989.
Political reforms swept China during the 80s and a lose market economy was set up as a method of liberalization under Chairman Mao. Students and intellectuals however felt these reforms were merely lip service and felt a paradigm shift in the political system was required. They felt the Communist Party of China still had a Gorbachev-like stronghold on the system and therefore demanded a reform for democracy instead. The revolutionary Hu suffered a myocardial infarct. Being the most underrated reformer of modern times, Hu played a pivotal role in the liberalisation of the communist law in China. His daring opposition and forthright calls for rapid reform was seen as open contempt of the Maoist excesses and was made a suitable scapegoat in the eyes of Deng the dick and others in the Mao administration, after the protests of 1987, Being a true man of honour, he politely resigned from the ruling party as Secretary General as a sign of protest. His death was mourned for 7 weeks, and thus sparked the infamous Tiananmen Square incident. But what was remarkable about the 100,000 people that gathered on that very day was there was no violence whatsoever. in fact they even erected a monument (the students at the Central Academy of Fine Art) representing the Goddess of Democracy.
They requested a dialogue with the government in order to discuss political reforms, a motion that was of course rejected, and huge groups of students decided to take to the SQUARE during the visit of Mikhail Gorbachev. Students nationwide participated in a hunger strike, for a week, and a well ordered daily march was conducted by students at Tiananmen Square. They stepped up by boycotting classes alongside lecturers. They were so well mannered, they even helped the police arrest 3 people who vandalised a picture of Chairman Mao just north of the Square. Such was the integrity of chinese students during the protest. Li Peng, famously known as Mao's right hand man finally caved in the proposed dialogue was agreed. At the same time, the Chinese Red Cross had set out to assist students who had collapsed amidst the protest and hungerstrike. A well thought out plan I'd say. So moving was this display of courage and unity amidst the dissatisfaction, Zhao Ziying, the General Secretary that replaced Hu made a public speech urging students to end the hungerstrike. In his infamous tearful speech where he begged and pleaded for students, "We are already old, it doesn't matter to us any more." (referring to himself) In contrast, the students were young and he urged them to stay healthy and not to sacrifice themselves so easily. Zhao's emotional speech was applauded by some students on the Square; it would be his last public appearance, as he was later placed in house-arrest till his death.
As it was the visit of Gorbachev and the international media was present, students ensured that their protests were seen and heard, as a peaceful, nonviolent one.
We've still to get to the Tank Man to talk about, so I'll pace this up. What happened next is the protests escalades as military personelle get mobilized to contain the protests. Rumours speculate about people getting shot and emotions flare up. Molotov cocktails are thrown at tanks and the military which sparked gunshots and many protestors perished. Now this bit was when the Beijing-ers got involved shielding the protestors as a sign of support and the gunshots seized.
What happens next cannot be expressed in mere words. Fresh a day after the carnage of the shootings and the mobilization of tanks to contain the protests (tanks apparently crushed some protestors as well), The tank man stood up and staked his claim, in the minds of every freedom crying soul worldwide.
Stay tuned for part 2!
