In this entry, a well known hero with in the protesters of 1989, reflects upon the terrorizing attacks in the Tiananmen Square Massacre. All we wanted was a democratic government; we have the right to speak our minds. Yet some believe we were too violent in our protests. I believe our President, Deng Xiaoping, may have gone too far with stopping the protests. I have heard he gave China’s Communist Party complete control over handling the protests. I don’t see why it had to become so violent. There had been other protests before this one. Why us?
I can remember the few days of protests. The first time anyone felt fear for their lives was when the tanks arrived. Everyone started to clear the streets, everyone quiet but making haste. I had simply been coming home from the market, holding the bags in my hand like any other day. And yet, this day wasn’t ordinary. I could feel something bad going to happen as everyone lined up along the sides of the streets. I could see people looking through the windows of the tall brick buildings, just waiting. What was going on? I looked around at the people beside me. Some I recognized were from the protests that had been happening in Tiananmen Square. It must have something to do with the protests. I was prepared to hear the protestors start chanting, but they never did. The look on their faces was anxious and scared. I followed their gaze down to the end of the long, wide street. At first the image I saw was just a blob; it was making a tremendous amount of noise. It inched forward, an endless wait to see what the image was. That’s when it appeared. It had a long nose and tracks on its wheels. It was a tank, but as it got closer I realized it was more than just one. There was a long line of tanks, each trailing behind the next. It could not be the protesters; they wouldn’t be able to get these tanks. Not to mention they were not violent. It had to be the government.
I was enormously angry. What was the point of bringing in tanks? The protesters weren’t doing anything wrong. I couldn’t stand for this. An impulse reaction, I guess, but I ran out in front of the first tank. I could hear gasping behind me; I could imagine their faces, surprised and fearful for myself. By the time I was in the middle of the street, and in the way of the line of tanks, I stopped. If the government wasn’t going to listen to what the protesters had to say, I was going to make them listen to me. As the tanks approached me, they began to slow down. The tank turned suddenly, trying to get around, and I moved with it. It went the other way, and so did I. The tank shut off its engine and just sat there in front of me. Silence was all one could hear. I felt a sudden power come over me and just yelled for the tank to go away. I jumped on the tank and yelled it even louder. When I got back down, I was bombarded by a group of soldiers that ushered me out of the street.
Nearly 10,000 people gathered in Tiananmen Square. People came to protest for a new government in front of Zhongnanhai, the seat of the government. This all started after the death of Hu Yaobang, the general secretary of China’s Communist Party. People were sick of no longer being heard and this was the final straw. Thousands helped put up posters that demanded change. People chanted on what they wanted as their rights, hoping to get an answer from the president. It brings me happiness to know that the people can come together for a common cause and put away any feuds. However, the government still did not give in to the demands of the people. Instead, they used force to end the protests. Anger fills me when I think about how horrible this day was. It all had turned into madness. Soldiers were ordered by Deng Xiaoping to kill anyone who got in their way. Innocent people were beaten and shot to death by the military. Civilians began to fight back, using whatever weapons they had, and each trying to protect each other. Tiananmen Square was set on fire that night, and in the morning all that remained were the ashes of people who risked their lives for a better life. It is said that an estimated 3,000 people were killed that night. What an inhumane way to leave this life. Their courage will never be forgotten.
Tank Man
坦克人
