Tiananmen Square Protesters
Tiananmen Square Protesters The movement was politically confused, and did not have a fairytale ending but it remains the biggest pro-democracy movement in human history. For the millions who took part, life would never be the same again. The movment I am referring took place in Tiananmen square in china, where it is estimated that 100 million people protested for what they believe in against the chinese government. The Tiananmen square protesters were young determined modern day transcendentalists, they peacefully defied rules of the government, they defied the rules because they thought the laws were unjust, they stood for what they believed in and didn’t surrender their beliefs. One characteristic that the Tiananmen square protesters had in common with transcendentalists is that they disobeyed peacefully.
Anyone can disobey something that is thought to be wrong. Thats easy. However these protesters, modern day transcendentalists disobeyed civilly. To be a Transcendentalist means to believe, and live in equally, to stand up for your beliefs, and against what is unjust. The protesters of Tiananmen Square wanted freedom and good leadership in their country.
On june 4 1989 the chinese government answered the students by brutally open firing on them inside the square leaving hundreds of thousands of protesters and students dead. The first shots were fired at around midnight at unarmed civilians (Tiananmen Square 1). The key to this information is that the protesters were unarmed. The protesters were just standing up for what they believed was right. They were peaceful they and closed minded, they were willing to die for what was right. “There are so many kids here risking their own lives for what you have.
Do what you can, break down the barriers and don’t be selfish anymore. Think about our race. One billion people can’t just fade away” (ling 14). This is a quote that was said by Chai Ling. She was a protester in Tiananmen Square and she said this in an interview. She is talking about the need of all chinese people everywhere not just in china to recognize that the people of china need help.
She pleads that if everyone joined together they would be able to win, to get what most take for granted, democracy and free will. A reason why the Tiananmen Square protesters are modern day transcendentalist is that they peacefully defied the rules of the chinese government. To be a Transcendentalist means to go against any laws that you believe to be unjust. Which is exactly what the protesters Tiananmen square did. They fought against their fair government, and it is believed that hundreds of thousands died for the cause. The fact that they died doesn’t tell you that they were transcendentalists they only shows how passionate they were.
What shows that they are transcendentalists is disobedience. They disobeyed because of the high-level government corruption, inflation, and growing income inequality. “Thus began a seven week eruption in which thousands of students occupied the square, held a hunger strike, and tried to negotiate with communist party officials, while millions of others beyond the student population engaged in solidarity actions around the countryside” (Kurtz 1). The students reported that they chose non-violent means. They did not want to overthrow the government, and believed that the problems they were attempting to address would not be solved with violence.
A reason why the Tiananmen square protesters are modern day transcendentalist is the fact that they stood against unjust laws and defied them. To be a transcendentalist you have to be willing to make sacrifices. The Tiananmen Square protesters were protesting for a more fair way to govern, for democracy, and they were willing to die for it. The Tiananmen square protesters believed so strongly that equality was a necessary that even when faced with death they still did surrender their beliefs. Even though the protest ended in death instead of democracy The Tiananmen Square massacre left a permanent scar on the Chinese government’s legitimacy to govern (Tiananmen Protest and College Reform 1980s 1).
The Tiananmen protesters efforts were not all for nothing. Their resistance to communism still rages on in the hearts and minds of newer generations. Over 25 years later and the protests and defiance to communism in china continues. “Tens of thousands of protesters take part in a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mark the 23rd anniversary of the military crackdown on the pro-democracy movement at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989” (Tylar 49). The fire that the Tiananmen Square protesters will never die out.
A reason that the Tiananmen Square protesters are transcendentalist is because of their willingness to sacrifice so much for their beliefs. Tiananmen Square protesters were determined modern day transcendentalists they peacefully defied rules of the government, they defied the rules because they thought the laws were unjust, they stood up for equality, and didn’t surrender their beliefs. The protesters legacy lives on, the protesters are still inspiring people even today to stand up for their beliefs. “The day we die is the day people stop caring about stuff that matters” (Dr Martin Luther King 2).
