Modern Chinese History: 6-4’s Peaceful Protesters

Beijing People's liberation Army and university students face each other

Beijing People's liberation Army and university students face each other

During the time I spent in Beijing as a student, cozily nestled amongst Chinese students, eating at their same cafeterias and freely visiting their dorms, I did not once see any violent actions. From my personal account, this protest was 100% non-violent, which makes the very violent response from the government all the more terrible.

When students were on campus milling about at Sanjiao Di (3 Corner Place) or other places, reading or putting up posters, discussing, organizing, there was excitement in the air. Students shouting slogans, crowding around certain people, then moving on to crowd around other people. I did not once see anyone fighting. This is surprising in that when I travel in China, there is always some small fight that I witness on the road, with pushing and shoving, and shouting from both parties. I expect this in China.

When there were protest walks down to the Square, the number of students could fill the street such that car traffic could not pass. Often there were so many students that both northbound and southbound lanes of traffic were blocked by students walking southbound. Students in the southbound lanes would stop cars and force them to wait until protesters had walked by. Blocking traffic can be thought of as socially disrespectful and possibly illegal but certainly not violent. There were no cars stoned or set ablaze.

On marches I do recall common citizens giving the students food and drink, and encouraging them on their way. Workers from factories, families, and others would stop their everyday lives and watch the protesters go by. Maybe this was common practice because it was novel, but day after day of the same support was surprising.

A lot of university students participated in the protest

A lot of university students participated in the protest

One should note that all university students, due to rules of attending university, are forced to do one month of military training. This includes military tactics and strategy, digging ditches, marching, but also includes how to clean and use a gun. University students have the training and potential to take up arms. There was a conscious decision by student leaders to not do this, because they knew that if students posessed arms of any kind the military would not hesitate to shoot.

Student military training is important because very early in the protest military trucks were sent into Beijing. Some of these trucks had soldiers with guns. I recall these trucks being forced to stop by common Beijing citizens, who them pleaded, goaded or embarrassed the soldiers into giving up their rifles. This connection between Beijing citizens and the Beijing People’s Liberation Army is an interesting one, as in the end the Beijing PLA refused to round up and hurt their own residents. There was a clear human connection between these groups that even the PLA high commend could not change. Once these soldiers were disarmed, their guns were given to the students, who collected them and delivered them to the local police station. I did not see one student with a gun or any other weapon of any kind.

Down at the Square, students at times organized against the PLA. I remember a very large protest in front of Renmin Dahui Tang (Great Hall of the People), where students were protesting and shouting slogans right in front of the perimeter fence. The PLA arrived with their soldiers, and asked the students to move backward. The students did comply, moving back about 10 metres. The soldiers marched in unarmed and faced the students, their backs to the Great Hall, 4 soldiers deep and the length of the perimeter fence. Both sides then agreed to sit down, which they did all together. While the soldiers were silent, the students continued their protest.

I do not profess to understand the subtle nuances of Chinese politics then nor now. I’ve also not researched much about the 6-4 protesters. My account of student protesters comes from what I was and lived. These students were peaceful in every way and even mitigated potentially violent situations. They also had widespread support from Beijing residents. How could such a peaceful protest go so wrong?

1 thought on “Modern Chinese History: 6-4’s Peaceful Protesters

  1. Pingback: “How could a peaceful protest lead to such chaos?” » The Peking Duck

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