Tiananmen Square 1989.

[SocialRealist]

Some pictures documenting the revolutionary event that happened in Tienanmen Square.

Massacred civilians.
http://cryptome.cn/tk/pict520.jpg
An act of protest against the government.
http://todayspictures.slate.com/20070604/images/PAR89053.jpg
One man stands against a mighty tank infantry unit.
http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/66/91866-004-0B707093.jpg

I have seen threads on here, denouncing the protesters on here and I honestly cant even believe that. This was a revolutionary struggle against oppression in all acts.

Finally a music video about the event.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZF2fbICwSg

[BobKKKindle$]

You are, of course, right - the Tienanmen protests were revolutionary in the sense that many of the workers who participated in the protests were campaigning against the market reforms which had been introduced by the government following the death of Mao in 1976, but at the same time we should also be aware of the fact that the protest was not a coherent movement as there were always multiple factions with mutually contradictory aims - some of the students, for example, aimed not only to establish a bourgeois democracy, but also to accelerate the transition to a capitalist economy based on private ownership in place of the state-capitalist economy which had existed up to that point by getting rid of the progressive institutions created by the 1949 revolution. These institutions, such as the "iron ricebowl", had allowed workers to protect themselves against the effects of neo-colonialism and maintain a basic standard of living but they are being dismantled by the autocratic state, with terrible implications for workers and peasants who have not yet benefited from rapid economic development and are increasingly forced to endure poverty and economic uncertainity.

[redguard2009]

Some more:

http://z.about.com/d/asianhistory/1/0/u/0/-/-/RiotinBeijingbyRobertCroma.jpg

http://cryptome.cn/tk/pict522.jpg

http://www.cnd.org/June4th/photos/mascr016.gif



Agree with bob. Also, who defends the massacre?

These protests were perhaps the last vestige of true revolutionary spirit left in China, occuring less than 15 years after the end of the Cultural Revolution and the victory of Chinese revisionism. Early in the protest, as the first thousands of Chinese men and women descended on the square, "The Internationale" was sung by thousands. Later, this was replaced with screaming and the sounds of gunfire. The death throws of China's last bit of genuine communism, given form by revolutionary students.

[Kassad]

If anything, they should have been protesting China's market reforms and state capitalist measures.

The only problem I have with these is that the current situation in China leaves us with two choices. The Communist Party of China still clings to some socialist reforms which are worth savoring. Until another revolutionary movement potentially springs up, it would be foolish to overthrow the Party because it would undoubtedly be replaced by bourgeoisie capitalists and free market reformers. Also, the United States and the Western elite would likely play a heavy role in formulating the nation to their greedy desires. Though the Communist Party of China is embracing some market reforms, it is still preferable to the bourgeoisie democracy, is it not?

[redSHARP]

its like the last line in animal farm...

"the creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which"

[LOLseph Stalin]

This event is censored in China, so obviously it can't be that great.

[Spasiba]

If anything, they should have been protesting China's market reforms and state capitalist measures.

The only problem I have with these is that the current situation in China leaves us with two choices. The Communist Party of China still clings to some socialist reforms which are worth savoring. Until another revolutionary movement potentially springs up, it would be foolish to overthrow the Party because it would undoubtedly be replaced by bourgeoisie capitalists and free market reformers. Also, the United States and the Western elite would likely play a heavy role in formulating the nation to their greedy desires. Though the Communist Party of China is embracing some market reforms, it is still preferable to the bourgeoisie democracy, is it not?
While I agree that overthrowing the current government would only lead to bourgeoisie capitalists taking power, I'm not completely convinced that's not better than the current regime. What exactly are the last vestiges of socialism still around? It is still a nation run by a greedy elite, they just happen to have a different face then most others. The people living there aren't free, and while neither are we, we are better off then them, I believe. So, as I see it now, no, the current situation isn't necessarily better than a bourgeois democracy, unless you can convince me otherwise.



This event is censored in China, so obviously it can't be that great.
Exactly. China knows what's up :thumbup1:



:crying:

[LOLseph Stalin]

Exactly. China knows what's up http://www.revleft.com/vb/tiananmen-square-1989-p1337314/revleft/smilies2/thumbup1.gif

Those sneaky Chinese...

[Reclaimed Dasein]

From what I understood, there were a lot of ex-red guards involved in this. Furthermore, I thought it was primarily a protest against the disintegration of the socialist state and the workers' protections. I could be mistaken, but I'd like to see some good historical documentation. Anyone can help?

[Red Rebel]

The bourgeois students who protested at Tiananmen Square and the crackdown that followed gives me hope that all is not lost in China. The protests took place while the Eastern Bloc and the Soviet Union were literally falling apart. The protesters wanted China to become a bourgeoisie democracy without the CPC in chare. If the protests succeeded the PRC would currently look like the Russian Federation.

I strongly advise my comrades to look past the corporate media demonization of China campagin. I tend not to be a fan of party literature (tends to be overly basic); however, the PSL's China: Revolution and Counterrevolution much insight into the topic.

[redguard2009]

The Communist Party of China still clings to some socialist reforms which are worth savoring.

In my opinion, the only thing the Communist Party is clinging to are socialist rhetoric. They have been barreling through all socialistic infastructure without letup for the past 20 years.


The protesters wanted China to become a bourgeoisie democracy without the CPC in chare.

This is a harsh generalization. There were many elements within the protest, both right-wing liberal democratics and left-wing activists. In a way, the Tiananmen Massacre put an end both to the last elements of legitimate socialism and the first elements of bourgeois democratic reforms.

[Red Rebel]

This is a harsh generalization. There were many elements within the protest, both right-wing liberal democratics and left-wing activists. In a way, the Tiananmen Massacre put an end both to the last elements of legitimate socialism and the first elements of bourgeois democratic reforms.

I should first off state that the PRC is a mixed bag. No leftists can state that the reforms of Deng have been positive; however, the Communist Party is still in control. Although unlikely it is always a possibility that the Party will redirect China towards socialism after development, which officials plan on reaching that point by 2050.

It might be Liu Xiaobo or another student leader who said that they wanted the Chinese military to crackdown on them. They wanted the violence. Also think about this, why would the capitalists around the world praise the resistence of Tianaman Square if it wanted to return to a Maoist line of thought?

[Kassad]

First of all, to everyone wondering about the current state of China, the gains of the revolution and the counterrevolution that is being waged against socialist reforms today, I implore you all to read the Party for Socialism and Liberation's China: Revolution and Counterrevolution. You can find it at www.SocialismandLiberation.org (http://www.SocialismandLiberation.org)
Though it costs $10, you can go a Google search for the article names and they will come up from main Party website, which you can view for free.

Here's a very enlightening article about China from the book.
http://www.pslweb.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8915&news_iv_ctrl=1040

Basically, with the consistent market reforms in China, the working class has been eviscerated as the wealthy elite profit from market reform, while the peasant and industrial workers are left to fend for themselves, much like they had to before the revolution in 1949.

With the constant implementation of free-market reforms, it's hard to establish what is left of the revolution. Regardless, an overthrow of the Communist Party of China by non-revolutionary forces would incur the wrath of even stricter reactionary and conservative bourgeoisie reforms. The protestors at Tiananmen Square were not protesting the market reforms or the destruction of proletariat justice. They were protesting in favor of bourgeoisie democracy. I can't imagine what people find in common with advocates of a bourgeoisie state here.

What is necessary is a new revolutionary movement, either inside the Communist Party of from outside that will seek to fight against the neo-liberal globalization schemes and will instead fight for working class liberation.

[redguard2009]

Also think about this, why would the capitalists around the world praise the resistence of Tianaman Square if it wanted to return to a Maoist line of thought?

Because it served their best interests to internationally demonize the Chinese government and communism as a whole. They wanted to cast China as the penultimate communist society in which its citizens, freedom-loving democrats, were being brutally oppressed by those evil reds. With Chinese state propaganda and western bourgeois media intent on shedding their own perspectives on the situation, it was nearly impossible for those protesting to actually have their sentiments heard, though some western media outlets did hint towards the progressive, pro-socialist and class strugglist nature of the protests, reporting that "The Internationale" was being sung (the same song had been sung at other protests throughout the mid-80s leading up to the Tiananmen massacre). You tell me, why would anti-communist, bourgeois democratic activists sing the communist hymn while being shot at and beaten by Chinese security?

[Killfacer]

(edit) cant be fucked to have an argument about what i had written.