Thirty-seven years ago today, Chinese protesters took to the streets of Beijing, demanding basic human rights. The protests ended with a brutal communist crackdown against their own citizens.
Tiananmen Square
Beginning in April 1989, one million Chinese people gathered in the center of the capital, Beijing, frustrated by decades of financial stagnation. They called for the resignation of party leadership, open markets, and free elections.
For weeks, the protesters held daily marches in the square, a public space established by dictator Mao Zedong. Despite a media blackout, Western reporters managed to transmit live footage of the events via satellite.
The crisis escalated in the early hours of June 4, when communist troops entered Tiananmen Square from every direction. The soldiers fired on civilians. Tanks plowed into protesters who refused to leave. Hours later, the space was deserted. To this day, China has never released a tally of those killed or injured; historians place the death count near 10,000.
Bill O’Reilly said today on WABC radio that he was in Beijing one year ago. He confirmed that the Chinese government is more oppressive than ever. It is “a total police state. Cameras are everywhere. There’s never been a surveillance system like this on earth. The communists have firm control over 1.5 billion citizens. It’s about five times more than the USA. There is little public dissent because the law is clear. Violators will be arrested, some killed. So, the streets of Beijing are clean, no litter, no homeless, no graffiti, no drugs. Much like 1989, China remains a totalitarian state where dissent can mean death.”
We face that with digital ID, digital money, cameras everywhere, and so on. Don’t underestimate the evil in our political power structure.