activistpost--2020-06-04--Helicopters and Military Humvees With Mounted Gun Turrets Deployed for Protests In D.C.

We have seen a lot of police brutality and crazy rioting over the past week .
As a sign of potential escalation , video has emerged of Humvees with machine gun turrets mounted on the top driving down the streets of DC , while a black red cross medical helicopter was used by the National Guard to show force against protesters at the capitol .
And if that ’ s not enough , there is news of protesters disappearing in Chicago .
U.S. President Trump vowed to use force against protesters and to deploy the U.S. military to DC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also expressed he would do the same elsewhere if the protests didn ’ t die down and rioters didn ’ t stop the vandalism and looting that occurred in some places .
Trump also said he had dispatched “ thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers , military personnel and law enforcement officers ” to Washington , D.C. A former Marine , Luke Thomas , commented on the video asking “ Why HMMWV ’ s rolling through DC city streets with their gun turrets mounted ?
” Although we can speculate what ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the horrible things they could be used for , it ’ s best to instead deal with the facts as they stand .
The Associated Press reports that approximately 200 active duty troops that were brought in to help if needed with the civil unrest in the nation ’ s capital will return to their home base .
However , we have no way of knowing whether or not these troops returning home are the same that were seen driving down D.C. streets with turrets attached to their Humvees .
The official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Associated Press , also noted that there were a total of 1,300 troops in the capitol region early this week as protests turned violent .
Protests became violent in the aftermath of the death in Minnesota of a black man , George Floyd , who died after a white police officer pressed his knee to Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes causing asphyxiation .
If Humvees with mounted turrets wasn ’ t enough to wet your police state whistle , a medical military helicopter was used to disperse protesters in D.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ground kettled them and beat them .
Even a CNN journalist was beat up by brutal riot cops .
This all showcases that our First Amendment right to peaceful assembly is being threatened in many cases .
The incident occurred on Monday night after protesters failed to disperse during the curfew at the capitol at 7 p.m. EST .
The helicopter flew low to the ground and was positioned just above those violating the curfew .
The chopper sent gusts of dust and trash into the air near the demonstrators seen in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was announced today that the District of Columbia National Guard launched an investigation into the low-flying maneuver by one of its helicopters over protesters , CBS reported .
“ I hold all members of the District of Columbia National Guard to the highest of standards , ” Major General William Walker said in a statement Wednesday .
“ We live and work in the district , and we are dedicated to the service of our nation.
” Thus far there has been no investigation announced for why U.S. military were driving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the top .
It was also just reported by the Associated Press that the previous call by the Pentagon to have some of the troops return to home base has now been abruptly reversed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper in what they are calling a “ dynamic situation.
” Shortly after , buses arrived with military personnel : If all of that wasn ’ t bizarre enough , Chicago is being accused of “ disappearing protesters , ” Vice reported .
Chicago , Illinois is the same state that had a CIA-like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is the same black site that The Anti-Media previously reported had detained thousands of Americans illegally .
With that said , are they back to being operational ?
It seems very strange that protesters are vanishing again in Chicago .
What does all this highlight ?
As Jeremiah Mostelle wrote for the Charles Koch Institute , “ the increased use of military equipment has coincided with an increased use of military tactics , such as SWAT teams and no-knock raids.
” As a result of all these actions and the various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excessive force against innocent unarmed protesters , we can surely expect massive lawsuits , maybe even class action lawsuits to commence .
Activist Post colleague Derrick Broze , in fact , was among those arrested last night in Houston while he was covering the protest as media .
He stated that he will be fighting the charges .
In the video below , Derrick provides more details of the arrest and the police behavior that he witnessed .
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By Aaron Kesel
We have seen a lot of police brutality and crazy rioting over the past week. As a sign of potential escalation, video has emerged of Humvees with machine gun turrets mounted on the top driving down the streets of DC, while a black red cross medical helicopter was used by the National Guard to show force against protesters at the capitol. And if that’s not enough, there is news of protesters disappearing in Chicago.
U.S. President Trump vowed to use force against protesters and to deploy the U.S. military to DC, the nation’s capital. He also expressed he would do the same elsewhere if the protests didn’t die down and rioters didn’t stop the vandalism and looting that occurred in some places. Trump also said he had dispatched “thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel and law enforcement officers” to Washington, D.C.
A former Marine, Luke Thomas, commented on the video asking “Why HMMWV’s rolling through DC city streets with their gun turrets mounted?”
Why are the HMMWV's rolling through DC city streets with their gun turrets mounted? https://t.co/Dh10FY5X9X — Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) June 2, 2020
Although we can speculate what’s going on here with these Humvees and the horrible things they could be used for, it’s best to instead deal with the facts as they stand.
The Associated Press reports that approximately 200 active duty troops that were brought in to help if needed with the civil unrest in the nation’s capital will return to their home base. However, we have no way of knowing whether or not these troops returning home are the same that were seen driving down D.C. streets with turrets attached to their Humvees.
The official who spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press, also noted that there were a total of 1,300 troops in the capitol region early this week as protests turned violent. Protests became violent in the aftermath of the death in Minnesota of a black man, George Floyd, who died after a white police officer Derek Cauvin pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for several minutes causing asphyxiation.
If Humvees with mounted turrets wasn’t enough to wet your police state whistle, a medical military helicopter was used to disperse protesters in D.C. as well, while the police on the ground kettled them and beat them. Even a CNN journalist was beat up by brutal riot cops. This all showcases that our First Amendment right to peaceful assembly is being threatened in many cases.
The incident occurred on Monday night after protesters failed to disperse during the curfew at the capitol at 7 p.m. EST. The helicopter flew low to the ground and was positioned just above those violating the curfew. The chopper sent gusts of dust and trash into the air near the demonstrators seen in the video below.
Since the event, it was announced today that the District of Columbia National Guard launched an investigation into the low-flying maneuver by one of its helicopters over protesters, CBS reported.
“I hold all members of the District of Columbia National Guard to the highest of standards,” Major General William Walker said in a statement Wednesday. “We live and work in the district, and we are dedicated to the service of our nation.”
Thus far there has been no investigation announced for why U.S. military were driving around Humvees with gun turrets still attached to the top.
It was also just reported by the Associated Press that the previous call by the Pentagon to have some of the troops return to home base has now been abruptly reversed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper in what they are calling a “dynamic situation.” Shortly after, buses arrived with military personnel:
BREAKING: > 10 Buses carrying US Military Forces descended on #WashingtonDC near White House pic.twitter.com/cd6shGAax8 — Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) June 3, 2020
If all of that wasn’t bizarre enough, Chicago is being accused of “disappearing protesters,” Vice reported. Chicago, Illinois is the same state that had a CIA-like black site torture prison at Homan Square. This is the same black site that The Anti-Media previously reported had detained thousands of Americans illegally. With that said, are they back to being operational? It seems very strange that protesters are vanishing again in Chicago.
What does all this highlight? As Jeremiah Mostelle wrote for the Charles Koch Institute, “the increased use of military equipment has coincided with an increased use of military tactics, such as SWAT teams and no-knock raids.”
As a result of all these actions and the various videos being seen online of police using excessive force against innocent unarmed protesters, we can surely expect massive lawsuits, maybe even class action lawsuits to commence.
Activist Post colleague Derrick Broze, in fact, was among those arrested last night in Houston while he was covering the protest as media. He stated that he will be fighting the charges. In the video below, Derrick provides more details of the arrest and the police behavior that he witnessed.
**By [@An0nkn0wledge](https://hive.blog/@an0nkn0wledge)**
Aaron Kesel writes for Activist Post.
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
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activistpost--2020-06-04--A Third Of Americans Who Lost Their Job Still Waiting For Unemployment Benefits To Arrive

Almost 33 % of unemployment benefits that have been applied for as a result of coronavirus-related job losses have still not been paid .
This is despite the fact that the Treasury has disbursed $ 146 billion in benefits in three months through May , which is more than all of 2009 .
Recall , policymakers responded to the virus outbreak by offering $ 600 per week more in unemployment than usual .
The goal was to keep people home and prevent the virus from spreading .
But this number still isn ’ t enough : the total amount owed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 214 billion , according to Bloomberg : The Treasury reports its unemployment disbursements daily .
Bloomberg ’ s calculation of what should have been paid is based on continuing claims for benefits , including those filed under a special program that widened the safety net to include contractors and gig workers .
( It assumes filings for missing weeks in May will be in line with the average in preceding weeks ) .
Those claims were multiplied by the weekly unemployment benefit , using the $ 378 state average plus the $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expire at the end of July .
The $ 67 billion difference is proof positive that emergency efforts to boost and disburse payments are falling short .
Jay Shambaugh , an economist at Brookings Institution , said : “ There ’ s a lot more money that should have gone out that has not gone out.
” More than 40 million people have filed for unemployment amidst the economic shutdown .
This includes 7.8 million people claiming under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for independent contractors .
And the lack of payments are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as racial tensions have gripped the nation and widespread rioting and looting is taking place .
See : 177 Different Ways to Generate Extra Income At the same time , economists believe another 1.8 million people filed for unemployment last week and that Friday ’ s numbers will show a jobless rate of 19.5 % , the highest since the Great Depression .
Bob Radcliffe , who lives in Morristown , New Jersey filed for unemployment in March and is now owed almost $ 15,000 .
He has four children under eight and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits yet .
He is taking his bank up on a three-month mortgage forbearance to survive .
“ I ’ ve had money to live .
I ’ m not a desperate case .
But I ’ m running out , ” he said .
The Labor Department disputes Bloomberg ’ s use of its weekly claims report to extrapolate its data , stating : “ It is also challenging to use these numbers because states are struggling to keep up with demand and some have backlogs they are working through.
” Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount owed to Americans .
Texas , for example , has a backlog of 650,000 claims .
The state has seen more than 2.6 million claims filed since March .
The state has added to its staffing by redeploying other workers , but attention has also been drawn to helping people find jobs and re-opening the state .
20 % of workers in the state ’ s oil and gas industry have filed for unemployment .
And a failure to extend benefits nationwide could prolong the crisis , according to Diane Swonk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the $ 1,200 benefits have momentarily helped families pay for rent or initial food bills , it also amounts to a little more than a week ’ s pay for many .
Swonk said : “ We ’ re really talking about an economy that is going to be operating at a fraction of its capacity for a long period of time.
” Ernie Tedeschi , a former U.S. Treasury economist now at Evercore ISI concluded : “ On paper the U.S. strategy is very generous .
But that generosity on paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ translate into actual money in people ’ s pockets when they need it.
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By Tyler Durden
Almost 33% of unemployment benefits that have been applied for as a result of coronavirus-related job losses have still not been paid. This is despite the fact that the Treasury has disbursed $146 billion in benefits in three months through May, which is more than all of 2009.
Recall, policymakers responded to the virus outbreak by offering $600 per week more in unemployment than usual. The goal was to keep people home and prevent the virus from spreading.
But this number still isn’t enough: the total amount owed to Americans during the same period was $214 billion, according to Bloomberg:
The Treasury reports its unemployment disbursements daily. Bloomberg’s calculation of what should have been paid is based on continuing claims for benefits, including those filed under a special program that widened the safety net to include contractors and gig workers. (It assumes filings for missing weeks in May will be in line with the average in preceding weeks). Those claims were multiplied by the weekly unemployment benefit, using the $378 state average plus the $600 boost that’s due to expire at the end of July.
The $67 billion difference is proof positive that emergency efforts to boost and disburse payments are falling short.
Jay Shambaugh, an economist at Brookings Institution, said: “There’s a lot more money that should have gone out that has not gone out.”
More than 40 million people have filed for unemployment amidst the economic shutdown. This includes 7.8 million people claiming under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for independent contractors. And the lack of payments are coming at the worst possible time, as racial tensions have gripped the nation and widespread rioting and looting is taking place.
At the same time, economists believe another 1.8 million people filed for unemployment last week and that Friday’s numbers will show a jobless rate of 19.5%, the highest since the Great Depression.
Bob Radcliffe, who lives in Morristown, New Jersey filed for unemployment in March and is now owed almost $15,000. He has four children under eight and says he hasn’t received any benefits yet. He is taking his bank up on a three-month mortgage forbearance to survive.
“I’ve had money to live. I’m not a desperate case. But I’m running out,” he said.
The Labor Department disputes Bloomberg’s use of its weekly claims report to extrapolate its data, stating: “It is also challenging to use these numbers because states are struggling to keep up with demand and some have backlogs they are working through.”
Meanwhile, Bloomberg thinks it has underestimated the amount owed to Americans.
Texas, for example, has a backlog of 650,000 claims. The state has seen more than 2.6 million claims filed since March. The state has added to its staffing by redeploying other workers, but attention has also been drawn to helping people find jobs and re-opening the state. 20% of workers in the state’s oil and gas industry have filed for unemployment.
And a failure to extend benefits nationwide could prolong the crisis, according to Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton LLP. While the $1,200 benefits have momentarily helped families pay for rent or initial food bills, it also amounts to a little more than a week’s pay for many.
Swonk said: “We’re really talking about an economy that is going to be operating at a fraction of its capacity for a long period of time.”
Ernie Tedeschi, a former U.S. Treasury economist now at Evercore ISI concluded: “On paper the U.S. strategy is very generous. But that generosity on paper is meaningless if it doesn’t translate into actual money in people’s pockets when they need it.”
Source: ZeroHedge
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
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activistpost--2020-06-04--EFF Offering Assistance with Attorney Referrals for Protesters

In light of the current protests across the country against racism and police brutality , we want to call attention to EFF ’ s attorney referral services .
We are opening up our Cooperating Attorneys list to people facing legal troubles as a result of their participation in the ongoing demonstrations , especially those involving surveillance or devices such as phones .
We urge anyone in such a position to contact us for help in finding representation .
Our referral list is comprised of hundreds of lawyers from around the nation who share an interest in our issues .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus on issues where technology and the law intersect , so we especially encourage those whose arrests involved digital rights issues to contact us .
For instance , if you believe your phone ’ s contents were accessed and stored after arrest , or if you are a journalist being compelled to share your footage with law enforcement , we want to hear from you .
Protesters and reporters in need of legal assistance in relation to their protesting activities should reach out to us at [ email protected ] .
We treat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confidential , and always protect the identities and information of those that come to us for legal assistance .
Again , there are attorneys from around the country on the list , so we accept requests for assistance from anywhere in the US .
We can not guarantee that we can find you pro bono representation , so we still encourage those in need to seek representation through all avenues available to them .
However , many of the attorneys on the list are very interested in helping , and we will certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bono assistance .
If you are an attorney that wants to join this list , we want to hear from you , too !
Send us an email at [ email protected ] and we ’ ll get you added .
EFF stands with communities taking to the streets and exercising their First Amendment rights to protest police brutality and racism .
We are glad to offer this referral service during this critical moment .
Please also note that EFF ’ s Intake Department is open Monday through Thursday 9am to 5pm , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process your request as quickly as possible .
As the Intake Coordinator here at EFF , Haley is the first point of contact for legal assistance and general information about EFF for the public .
Prior to EFF , she served as a researcher in Thailand on projects to amplify the voices of marginalized women in international climate negotiations and to enhance the human rights obligations of transnational corporations .
She then returned to the U.S. to work for local and national organizations doing things like learning about the importance of accessible legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developments in human rights law , and researching the military industrial congressional complex in support of a weapons divestment campaign .
She ’ s also a big fan of live music , good food , other people ’ s dogs , traveling far and wide around the planet , and writing fiction ( that at least her older sister thinks is very good ) .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $ 1 per month at Patreon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Flote , Minds , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Haley Pederson
In light of the current protests across the country against racism and police brutality, we want to call attention to EFF’s attorney referral services. We are opening up our Cooperating Attorneys list to people facing legal troubles as a result of their participation in the ongoing demonstrations, especially those involving surveillance or devices such as phones. We urge anyone in such a position to contact us for help in finding representation.
Our referral list is comprised of hundreds of lawyers from around the nation who share an interest in our issues. Like EFF, the attorneys on this list focus on issues where technology and the law intersect, so we especially encourage those whose arrests involved digital rights issues to contact us. For instance, if you believe your phone’s contents were accessed and stored after arrest, or if you are a journalist being compelled to share your footage with law enforcement, we want to hear from you.
Protesters and reporters in need of legal assistance in relation to their protesting activities should reach out to us at info@eff.org. We treat requests that come in to us as confidential, and always protect the identities and information of those that come to us for legal assistance.
Again, there are attorneys from around the country on the list, so we accept requests for assistance from anywhere in the US. We cannot guarantee that we can find you pro bono representation, so we still encourage those in need to seek representation through all avenues available to them. However, many of the attorneys on the list are very interested in helping, and we will certainly do our best to find you pro bono assistance.
If you are an attorney that wants to join this list, we want to hear from you, too! Send us an email at info@eff.org and we’ll get you added.
EFF stands with communities taking to the streets and exercising their First Amendment rights to protest police brutality and racism. We are glad to offer this referral service during this critical moment.
Please also note that EFF’s Intake Department is open Monday through Thursday 9am to 5pm, but we will do our best to process your request as quickly as possible.
Source: EFF
As the Intake Coordinator here at EFF, Haley is the first point of contact for legal assistance and general information about EFF for the public. Prior to EFF, she served as a researcher in Thailand on projects to amplify the voices of marginalized women in international climate negotiations and to enhance the human rights obligations of transnational corporations. She then returned to the U.S. to work for local and national organizations doing things like learning about the importance of accessible legal aid in combating poverty, writing about developments in human rights law, and researching the military industrial congressional complex in support of a weapons divestment campaign. She’s also a big fan of live music, good food, other people’s dogs, traveling far and wide around the planet, and writing fiction (that at least her older sister thinks is very good).
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-06-04--The Tiananmen Square Massacre: From China’s Authoritarian Roots to the Iconic “Tank Man”

China is often described as the next superpower to top America within the next few decades .
At first glance , such an assertion makes sense .
The country ’ s vast geography , natural resources , rich history , and tech-savvy populace puts it in a position to thrive in the 21st century .
However , China ’ s rise as a superpower is not one of an overnight success , nor is it filled with pretty rainbows .
Indeed , China is one of the world ’ s longest lasting civilizations , with cultural and political traditions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effortlessly .
With such a vast history , China had gone through its own zeniths and nadirs .
As is the nature of any civilization .
However , China ’ s modern history has been a rollercoaster ride to say the least .
Despite having a massive formal governing apparatus that would put many empires to shame , China has not always had full control of its territorial jurisdiction .
Once European powers reached Chinese shores in search of riches , they soon wanted their piece of pie .
That meant slowly whittling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first movers in the Age of Exploration , the Portuguese and their missionaries colonized Macau .
Although the Portuguese ’ s venture was not exclusively about riches , it inspired other European actors such as the British to go and exploit China ’ s vast resources .
Naturally , the Qing dynasty and Britain ’ s interests clashed once the British wanted to expand trade inside the country .
What was originally a trade dispute between a Qing government wanting to maintain trade that overwhelmingly favored China , soon turned into a full-blown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
China was handed a humiliating defeat , which saw it turn over Hong Kong to the British .
This marked a turning point in Chinese history .
The once mighty country slowly deteriorated both internally and externally .
China soon became a punching bag for smaller , yet more militarily advanced countries that started setting up trading outposts in Shanghai .
Indeed , these moves were not welcome by the Chinese and many in the Qing court , but due to the country ’ s decaying institutions , it could do nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Western periphery , like Imperial Russia , started to prey on China when it annexed all of the Chinese land north of the Amur River in 1858 , exploiting Chinese weakness along a border that was , at the time , 4,650 miles long .
As if China ’ s foreign reversals weren ’ t enough , Imperial Japan also jumped in the mix and picked apart China like other European powers .
Japan put the world on notice when it crushed China in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added the island of modern-day Taiwan , the Liaodong Peninsula , and the Korean peninsula into its sphere of influence .
Japan ’ s exploitation of its weaker mainland rival did not stop there .
Even after the Qing dynasty collapsed , nationalist leader Chiang Kai-Shek tried to put the political pieces back together during the 1920s , in an attempt to unify the country and restore Chinese greatness .
However , Imperial Japan was ready to humiliate China yet again , when it invaded Manchuria in 1931 , and occupied it until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their industrialization efforts .
All in all , the mid-19th century up until the mid-20th century was a rocky period .
It took game-changing events after World War II for China to finally get its political house in order and build itself up on its own terms .
As foreign powers such as the United States , Germany , Japan , and Russia carved out spheres of influence in the once-mighty empire , the Chinese imperial court began to lose legitimacy both domestically and abroad .
In 1911 , the Xinhai Revolution was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dynasty ’ s back .
Chinese reformers grew tired of their country ’ s weakness and organized revolts across the country that ultimately forced the last Qing emperor , Pu Yi , to abdicate in 1912 .
However , the transition from empire to a modern-day nation-state was filled with many road bumps for China .
Despite political reformer and provisional president of the Republic of China Sun Yat-sen ’ s attempts to modernize the Chinese state , the country was quickly mired in internal struggles that prevented it from forming a coherent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fall of the Qing dynasty .
Warlord control of the country soon became the norm as many optimistic Chinese reformers then realized the road to Chinese political stability would not come easy .
The Move to Unify the Chinese State By the 1920s , China ’ s political destiny slowly started to change .
It wasn ’ t until the 1920s that movements began to emerge , with hopes to unify China and establish it as a sovereign nation free of foreign exploitation .
The emergence of the Nationalist and Communist movements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the populace .
Their messages , while ideologically different in economic matters , had a vision of restoring China ’ s rightful place on the world stage .
They viewed the Qing dynasty as corrupt and feckless for allowing European powers and Japan to carve out the country .
For China to be great , it had to be free of foreign influence .
The dream of a unified China nearly became a reality when the Nationalist ( Kuomintang ) movement led by Chiang Kai-Shek ended warlord rule and began consolidating the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unified China on both ideological and political lines were temporarily dashed when the Japanese invaded in the 1930s .
The subsequent expansion of World War II to the Asian theater saw the previously dominant Nationalist forces having to fend off Japanese forces .
Such fighting left the Nationalist forces greatly depleted , while their Communist foes pulled their forces in the Chinese interior .
Little did the Nationalists know that once World War II came to an end , they would be up against a replenished and emboldened Communist movement .
And this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down without a fight .
Once the dust settled from World War II , national unity went out the window .
Communist forces under Mao Zedong were ready to duke it out with Chiang Kai-Shek and his Nationalist faction .
So began the second phase of the Chinese Civil War ( 1945-1949 ) .
After four years of hard fighting , the Communists defeated the already depleted Kuomintang in 1949 .
By October 1949 , Mao Zedong ’ s communist government was ready to usher in a new era of consolidated rule in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republic of China .
In response , the defeated Nationalists scurried to the island of Formosa , which would be renamed as Taiwan or the Republic of China .
Despite China ’ s stubbornness in de-legitimizing the independent nation on the world stage , Taiwan would remain under the thumb of Chiang Kai-Shek until his death in 1975 .
Once in command , Mao was focused on consolidating his internal power and centralizing the Chinese state at the domestic level .
The Chinese leader was not so concerned about expanding China ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Chairman of the Communist Party .
Once his power was firmly established , he then proceeded to make China an industrial power conforming to principles of central-planning .
China was no longer going to be the pushover that it once was in the latter half of the 19th century .
It was ready to leave its mark on the international stage .
The Chinese story is one of the eternal conflicts between centralized control and violent regionalism , as noted by Jacob L. Shapiro .
Chairman Mao was faced with presiding over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of political violence .
China encompasses such a vast territory , which necessitates large , bureaucratic systems to administer it .
For political purposes , this bureaucracy has helped China maintain control over its jurisdiction in the short and mid-term .
However , in the long-term this bureaucracy would become unwieldy and parasitic .
As a result , high taxation and economic stagnation would follow after this bureaucracy became ingrained in the Chinese political system .
This has been a fixture of China ’ s so-called “ Dynastic Cycle , ” which appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times .
Communist Party elites did not want to become the next generation of leaders who fell victim to this vicious cycle .
Mao despised the Chinese bureaucracy and was able to rip it to shreds when he initially took the helm of the Chinese state .
However , when Mao wanted to embark on the Great Leap Forward – an ambitious program created to rapidly change Chinese industry and agriculture through state planning – he had to come to grips with the reality that he needed a bureaucracy to carry out his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ races China went .
Fearful of Mao ’ s punitive actions , Chinese bureaucrats fudged data in order to placate him .
What seemed like a political maneuver to gain favor within the government , would later turn out to be a disaster for the people living in the countryside .
China ’ s Great Leap Forward experiment was initially marketed as the program to take China to the next level of economic development .
The Great Leap Forward was a concerted effort to collectivize the Chinese economy and hand over the commanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property and a market-based price system were cast aside , while the Chinese central planners tried to play god .
But playing god with the economy comes with a massive price to pay .
Even the best central planners are unable to break the laws of economics .
Such heavy-handed interventions in the economy destroyed China ’ s agricultural sector .
In turn , the decimation of Chinese agriculture created famine conditions , which led to the deaths of an estimated range of 20 million to 45 million people .
The casualties suffered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another tragic case of democide , as the country became another casualty of central planning .
Consequently , Mao Zedong saw his political image tarnished after this failed socialist experiment , which called into question the validity of his political ideology .
But the man-made disaster did not deter him from pursuing other ambitious political programs .
Mao was intent on leaving his political mark in China .
The Cultural Revolution of 1966 to 1976 was Mao ’ s final attempt to impose a top-down program on the Chinese populace .
This ambitious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and rid Chinese society of subversive bourgeois elements .
However , this social program turned into a wide-scale political purge that hamstrung economic growth and undermined the civil liberties of millions in China .
Like the Great Leap Forward , the Cultural Revolution proved that Mao was too ambitious in socially engineering society according to his grandiose political vision .
With two controversial efforts led by the Chinese state to radically transform the nation ’ s society , China ’ s political class started to become restless .
Even the Communist Party knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was becoming clear that China was on the verge of falling into political chaos .
A new course would need to be taken for the country to advance , lest it become another victim of its well established Dynastic Cycle .
Several leaders in the Chinese Communist Party were ready to step up to the plate .
Politics never occur in a vacuum .
Countries ’ destinies are often shaped by external events , or at the very least , must adapt to international trends .
In its quest to become a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this .
During the ambitious Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution programs , China was experiencing significant changes in its foreign policy .
Communism may have had a unified vision against the bourgeois classes , but it witnessed numerous splits among countries throughout the 20th century .
National interests often see ideologically similar countries take antagonistic paths .
The Communist sphere was indeed a house divided once the Chinese state was well established and ready to plot its own course .
China ’ s Soviet “ Big Brother ” would soon learn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pursue its own agenda .
Initially , disputes surrounding debts that China incurred during the Korean War and the border it shared with the Soviet Union caused unrest between the two superpowers .
Many Soviet officials saw Mao ’ s leadership purges as a flashback to the brutal regime of Josef Stalin .
As a result , Soviet leadership became weary of their Communist “ little brother ” down South .
In the same token , the Chinese remembered their exploitation at the hands of the Russian Empire in the 19th century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in repeating the same predatory relationship with its northern neighbor .
Looking from afar , America took advantage of this geopolitical tension by playing China off of the Soviet Union .
The first concrete step in undermining the Soviet Union was Nixon ’ s visit to China in 1972 , which helped re-establish diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries .
With China now tasting the fruits of international capitalism , albeit to a limited degree , its old economic model of top-down control was on the ropes .
Additionally , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs made the more pragmatic elements of the Chinese Communist Party reconsider Maoism .
The economic benefits from restored relationships with America were simply too large to ignore .
On top of that , the Chinese state could capture unprecedented economic benefits from opening up trade with America .
This would enable China to not only grow economically , but also strengthen its governing apparatus .
The Chinese state was then set for new leadership to emerge and continue integrating China into the global market .
The days of Chinese isolation would soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Political Transformation of Deng Xiaoping ’ s China Once Deng Xiaoping succeeded Mao Zedong , China was poised for national greatness .
Deng acknowledged that Maoism did not bring about its desired results for China , and a new economic program was needed to bring the country back to its feet .
Now that the Communist Party was well entrenched in power and China was able to pacify any internal threats , the country was ready to interact with the outside world on its own terms .
Gone were the days that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Recognizing the failure of central planning , while also taking into account the economic potential China had on the international stage , Deng Xiaoping embarked on a series of bold reforms .
Unlike its humiliating experience of the late 19th century , China was opening up its markets without being the victim of gunboat diplomacy .
Deng ’ s regime enacted certain reforms that brought back market dynamics , albeit in limited form , to the Chinese economy .
Land privatization and the creation of special economic zones helped make China more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to certain reports , China ’ s annual GDP growth rate ranged from 9.5 to 11.5 percent from 1978 to 2013 .
Thanks to these market-based reforms , China ’ s GDP increased tenfold and , as a result , millions of Chinese were lifted out of poverty .
The horrific scenes of the Great Leap Forward soon became a distant memory as skyscrapers dotted illustrious cities like Shanghai , and factories were built left and right to bolster China ’ s breakneck industrial growth .
“ Made in China ” soon became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prowess , as it flooded the world with basic goods coming out of its factories .
But this could never have been possible without China making an attempt to open up its markets .
As Milton Friedman observed , economic freedom is generally a precondition for political freedom .
When societies see economic freedoms gradually expanded , the new rich and emerging middle classes begin demanding more political freedoms .
As Chinese economic growth soared throughout the 1980s , its citizens demanded more than just economic prosperity .
The death of pro-reform Communist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused several disturbances throughout the country .
While on the economic uptick , Post-Mao China was marked by political uncertainty and Hu ’ s death added more fuel to the fire .
Both the general populace and the political elite were rocked by the market reforms of Deng ’ s regime , which benefited some members of the newly rising entrepreneurial class , but still did not satisfy China ’ s humbler citizens .
The ruling elite also faced some questions about political legitimacy .
Some of the concerns centered around corruption , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedoms .
China ’ s student class started to demand new freedoms such as democracy , transparency in government , and free speech rights among other things .
Protests started to pop up throughout the country , with the main ones centering around Tiananmen Square in Beijing .
Historically , Tiananmen Square held great significance in Chinese politics .
It was the place where the May Fourth Movement of 1919 occurred , when students ’ protests aired grievances with the Chinese government ’ s tepid response to the Treaty of Versailles , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This movement helped jumpstart the Chinese Communist and Nationalist movements respectively .
Fast forward 30 years , the Proclamation of the People ’ s Republic of China by Mao Zedong on October 1 , 1949 , took place on Tiananmen Square as well .
This marked the end of the Chinese Communist Revolution ( 1945-1949 ) and ushered in the Communist Party ’ s dominance over Chinese politics .
In 1989 , student protestors sought to use this same square as their platform to make history by demanding the introduction of basic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the right to peacefully assemble against the government – concepts which were unheard of throughout China ’ s long political history .
In the fateful month of April 1989 , they took to the streets in protest .
Indeed , these students made history , but things didn ’ t go as planned for them .
Chinese Leadership Becomes Weary of the Threat of Democratic Reforms Wanting to preserve the Communist Party ’ s political supremacy at all costs , China ’ s paramount leader , Deng Xiaoping , along with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests as a political threat .
Wasting no time in responding to these protests , the Chinese government proceeded to use force after the Chinese State Council declared martial law on May 20th , and deployed approximately 300,000 troops to Beijing .
When troops arrived in Beijing on June 4th , they began killing protestors and bystanders .
The Chinese government arrested thousands of protesters , cracked down on other demonstrations in the country , kicked out foreign journalists , censored coverage of the Tiananmen incident in the press , bolstered police powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be receptive to the protestors ’ cause .
Estimates pin the death toll from several hundred to thousands .
Unsurprisingly , this incident received international condemnation .
However , China ’ s status as a nuclear power and its newfound prosperity positioned it where it could avoid any direct military confrontation from other countries who disapproved of its agenda .
Unlike 19th century China , 20th century China could take bold political actions without the fear of international actors trying to directly attack it .
A day after the crackdown , on June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most iconic images from the Tiananmen protests emerged .
A man , who would be known as Tank Man or the Unknown Rebel , stood in front of a convoy of tanks leaving Tiananmen Square .
The lead tank tried to maneuver past the man , but was met with nonviolent resistance .
The man repeatedly shuffled in front of the tank to obstruct the tank ’ s path .
After a while , the lead tank stopped in its tracks and the armored tanks behind it stopped as well .
From there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man and tanks remaining in a standstill .
The video footage then shows the man climbing on top of the tank ’ s turret and chatting with a crew member and the tank ’ s commander .
After having a conversation , the man jumps back down and gets in front of the tank again .
The standoff between the man and tank continued until two figures in blue came out and pulled the man to the side .
To this day , witnesses at this event are unsure about who pulled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Furthermore , the identity and fate of the man is still unknown , although there has been speculation that he was either executed or fled the country shortly thereafter .
The Tiananmen Square massacre was indeed a turning point in Chinese history .
After an unprecedented liberalization of the economy up until the late 1980s , the Chinese state firmly put the breaks on any type of political reform that would enhance political freedoms .
China showed the entire world that it would put hard limits on freedom , even if it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments .
As a sovereign nuclear power , China could proceed with its domestic policy as it pleased , knowing full well that no other world power would try to aggress against it .
To this day , civil liberties that Westerners often take for granted are heavily restricted in China .
Under the leadership of Xi Jinping , China has embarked on one of the most ambitious censorship programs in human history .
Now the Chinese state is even putting Muslim Uighurs in re-education camps , much to the chagrin of international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains one of the most heavily censored topics in Chinese political discourse .
The iconic image of the man confronting the tanks is a strong symbol of mankind ’ s eternal struggle to achieve freedom .
Despite its fantastic economic growth , China remains one of the more authoritarian countries in the world .
Just like freedom did not come to the West overnight , basic freedoms will likely take decades before they firmly take root in China .
Until then , the Chinese state remains firm in its hold over the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was one of the lucky few to leave the country right before the demagogic leader Hugo Chávez came into power .
José ’ s family saw the writing on the wall and moved stateside in search of a better life .
José ’ s work has been published by the Mises Institute , the Foundation for Economic Education , Bitcoin Magazine , the American Institute for Economic Research , the Advocates for Self-Government , and Gunpower Magazine .
He also appeared on the Tom Woods Show and Dana Loesch ’ s show Relentless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , peace , and freedom news .
Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $ 1 per month at Patreon .
Follow us on SoMee , HIVE , Flote , Minds , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By José Niño
China is often described as the next superpower to top America within the next few decades. At first glance, such an assertion makes sense. The country’s vast geography, natural resources, rich history, and tech-savvy populace puts it in a position to thrive in the 21st century. However, China’s rise as a superpower is not one of an overnight success, nor is it filled with pretty rainbows.
Indeed, China is one of the world’s longest lasting civilizations, with cultural and political traditions that have been passed down to succeeding generations effortlessly. With such a vast history, China had gone through its own zeniths and nadirs. As is the nature of any civilization. However, China’s modern history has been a rollercoaster ride to say the least.
Despite having a massive formal governing apparatus that would put many empires to shame, China has not always had full control of its territorial jurisdiction. Once European powers reached Chinese shores in search of riches, they soon wanted their piece of pie. That meant slowly whittling away at Chinese territory. As the first movers in the Age of Exploration, the Portuguese and their missionaries colonized Macau.
Although the Portuguese’s venture was not exclusively about riches, it inspired other European actors such as the British to go and exploit China’s vast resources. Naturally, the Qing dynasty and Britain’s interests clashed once the British wanted to expand trade inside the country. What was originally a trade dispute between a Qing government wanting to maintain trade that overwhelmingly favored China, soon turned into a full-blown conflict as seen in the Opium War.
China was handed a humiliating defeat, which saw it turn over Hong Kong to the British. This marked a turning point in Chinese history. The once mighty country slowly deteriorated both internally and externally. China soon became a punching bag for smaller, yet more militarily advanced countries that started setting up trading outposts in Shanghai. Indeed, these moves were not welcome by the Chinese and many in the Qing court, but due to the country’s decaying institutions, it could do nothing to prevent further predations.
Even empires on the Western periphery, like Imperial Russia, started to prey on China when it annexed all of the Chinese land north of the Amur River in 1858, exploiting Chinese weakness along a border that was, at the time, 4,650 miles long. As if China’s foreign reversals weren’t enough, Imperial Japan also jumped in the mix and picked apart China like other European powers. Japan put the world on notice when it crushed China in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894. As a result of this humiliation, Japan added the island of modern-day Taiwan, the Liaodong Peninsula, and the Korean peninsula into its sphere of influence. Japan’s exploitation of its weaker mainland rival did not stop there.
Even after the Qing dynasty collapsed, nationalist leader Chiang Kai-Shek tried to put the political pieces back together during the 1920s, in an attempt to unify the country and restore Chinese greatness. However, Imperial Japan was ready to humiliate China yet again, when it invaded Manchuria in 1931, and occupied it until 1945, in an attempt to expand their industrialization efforts.
All in all, the mid-19th century up until the mid-20th century was a rocky period. It took game-changing events after World War II for China to finally get its political house in order and build itself up on its own terms.
China: From Powerful Imperial Rule to a Weakened State
As foreign powers such as the United States, Germany, Japan, and Russia carved out spheres of influence in the once-mighty empire, the Chinese imperial court began to lose legitimacy both domestically and abroad. In 1911, the Xinhai Revolution was the final straw that broke the Qing dynasty’s back. Chinese reformers grew tired of their country’s weakness and organized revolts across the country that ultimately forced the last Qing emperor, Pu Yi, to abdicate in 1912. However, the transition from empire to a modern-day nation-state was filled with many road bumps for China.
Despite political reformer and provisional president of the Republic of China Sun Yat-sen’s attempts to modernize the Chinese state, the country was quickly mired in internal struggles that prevented it from forming a coherent political structure in the immediate years following the fall of the Qing dynasty. Warlord control of the country soon became the norm as many optimistic Chinese reformers then realized the road to Chinese political stability would not come easy.
The Move to Unify the Chinese State
By the 1920s, China’s political destiny slowly started to change.
It wasn’t until the 1920s that movements began to emerge, with hopes to unify China and establish it as a sovereign nation free of foreign exploitation. The emergence of the Nationalist and Communist movements in China appealed to nationalistic sentiment among the populace. Their messages, while ideologically different in economic matters, had a vision of restoring China’s rightful place on the world stage. They viewed the Qing dynasty as corrupt and feckless for allowing European powers and Japan to carve out the country. For China to be great, it had to be free of foreign influence.
The dream of a unified China nearly became a reality when the Nationalist (Kuomintang) movement led by Chiang Kai-Shek ended warlord rule and began consolidating the Chinese state. However, hopes of a unified China on both ideological and political lines were temporarily dashed when the Japanese invaded in the 1930s. The subsequent expansion of World War II to the Asian theater saw the previously dominant Nationalist forces having to fend off Japanese forces. Such fighting left the Nationalist forces greatly depleted, while their Communist foes pulled their forces in the Chinese interior.
Little did the Nationalists know that once World War II came to an end, they would be up against a replenished and emboldened Communist movement. And this time around, they would not go down without a fight.
Unifying the Chinese State Under Communism
Once the dust settled from World War II, national unity went out the window. Communist forces under Mao Zedong were ready to duke it out with Chiang Kai-Shek and his Nationalist faction. So began the second phase of the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949). After four years of hard fighting, the Communists defeated the already depleted Kuomintang in 1949. By October 1949, Mao Zedong’s communist government was ready to usher in a new era of consolidated rule in China by declaring the People’s Republic of China. In response, the defeated Nationalists scurried to the island of Formosa, which would be renamed as Taiwan or the Republic of China. Despite China’s stubbornness in de-legitimizing the independent nation on the world stage, Taiwan would remain under the thumb of Chiang Kai-Shek until his death in 1975.
Once in command, Mao was focused on consolidating his internal power and centralizing the Chinese state at the domestic level. The Chinese leader was not so concerned about expanding China’s reach abroad during his first few years as Chairman of the Communist Party. Once his power was firmly established, he then proceeded to make China an industrial power conforming to principles of central-planning. China was no longer going to be the pushover that it once was in the latter half of the 19th century. It was ready to leave its mark on the international stage.
The Omnipresent Chinese Bureaucracy
The Chinese story is one of the eternal conflicts between centralized control and violent regionalism, as noted by Jacob L. Shapiro. Chairman Mao was faced with presiding over a large country with a long history of political violence. China encompasses such a vast territory, which necessitates large, bureaucratic systems to administer it. For political purposes, this bureaucracy has helped China maintain control over its jurisdiction in the short and mid-term. However, in the long-term this bureaucracy would become unwieldy and parasitic. As a result, high taxation and economic stagnation would follow after this bureaucracy became ingrained in the Chinese political system. This has been a fixture of China’s so-called “Dynastic Cycle,” which appeared to rear its ugly head in modern times. Communist Party elites did not want to become the next generation of leaders who fell victim to this vicious cycle.
Mao despised the Chinese bureaucracy and was able to rip it to shreds when he initially took the helm of the Chinese state. However, when Mao wanted to embark on the Great Leap Forward – an ambitious program created to rapidly change Chinese industry and agriculture through state planning – he had to come to grips with the reality that he needed a bureaucracy to carry out his grandiose vision.
Off to the bureaucratic races China went.
The Great Leap Forward
Fearful of Mao’s punitive actions, Chinese bureaucrats fudged data in order to placate him. What seemed like a political maneuver to gain favor within the government, would later turn out to be a disaster for the people living in the countryside. China’s Great Leap Forward experiment was initially marketed as the program to take China to the next level of economic development. The Great Leap Forward was a concerted effort to collectivize the Chinese economy and hand over the commanding heights to the Chinese state. Private property and a market-based price system were cast aside, while the Chinese central planners tried to play god.
But playing god with the economy comes with a massive price to pay. Even the best central planners are unable to break the laws of economics. Such heavy-handed interventions in the economy destroyed China’s agricultural sector. In turn, the decimation of Chinese agriculture created famine conditions, which led to the deaths of an estimated range of 20 million to 45 million people. The casualties suffered during the Great Leap Forward made China another tragic case of democide, as the country became another casualty of central planning. Consequently, Mao Zedong saw his political image tarnished after this failed socialist experiment, which called into question the validity of his political ideology. But the man-made disaster did not deter him from pursuing other ambitious political programs. Mao was intent on leaving his political mark in China.
The Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution of 1966 to 1976 was Mao’s final attempt to impose a top-down program on the Chinese populace. This ambitious political venture sought to re-assert proletarian values and rid Chinese society of subversive bourgeois elements. However, this social program turned into a wide-scale political purge that hamstrung economic growth and undermined the civil liberties of millions in China. Like the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution proved that Mao was too ambitious in socially engineering society according to his grandiose political vision. With two controversial efforts led by the Chinese state to radically transform the nation’s society, China’s political class started to become restless. Even the Communist Party knew that Mao took things too far. It was becoming clear that China was on the verge of falling into political chaos. A new course would need to be taken for the country to advance, lest it become another victim of its well established Dynastic Cycle. Several leaders in the Chinese Communist Party were ready to step up to the plate.
Geopolitical Tensions Create New Openings
Politics never occur in a vacuum. Countries’ destinies are often shaped by external events, or at the very least, must adapt to international trends. In its quest to become a global superpower, China was no stranger to this. During the ambitious Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution programs, China was experiencing significant changes in its foreign policy. Communism may have had a unified vision against the bourgeois classes, but it witnessed numerous splits among countries throughout the 20th century. National interests often see ideologically similar countries take antagonistic paths.
The Communist sphere was indeed a house divided once the Chinese state was well established and ready to plot its own course. China’s Soviet “Big Brother” would soon learn that China was ready to grow up and pursue its own agenda. Initially, disputes surrounding debts that China incurred during the Korean War and the border it shared with the Soviet Union caused unrest between the two superpowers. Many Soviet officials saw Mao’s leadership purges as a flashback to the brutal regime of Josef Stalin. As a result, Soviet leadership became weary of their Communist “little brother” down South. In the same token, the Chinese remembered their exploitation at the hands of the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Naturally, they had no interest in repeating the same predatory relationship with its northern neighbor.
Looking from afar, America took advantage of this geopolitical tension by playing China off of the Soviet Union. The first concrete step in undermining the Soviet Union was Nixon’s visit to China in 1972, which helped re-establish diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries. With China now tasting the fruits of international capitalism, albeit to a limited degree, its old economic model of top-down control was on the ropes. Additionally, the failed Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution programs made the more pragmatic elements of the Chinese Communist Party reconsider Maoism. The economic benefits from restored relationships with America were simply too large to ignore. On top of that, the Chinese state could capture unprecedented economic benefits from opening up trade with America. This would enable China to not only grow economically, but also strengthen its governing apparatus. The Chinese state was then set for new leadership to emerge and continue integrating China into the global market. The days of Chinese isolation would soon come to an end.
The Economic and Political Transformation of Deng Xiaoping’s China
Once Deng Xiaoping succeeded Mao Zedong, China was poised for national greatness. Deng acknowledged that Maoism did not bring about its desired results for China, and a new economic program was needed to bring the country back to its feet. Now that the Communist Party was well entrenched in power and China was able to pacify any internal threats, the country was ready to interact with the outside world on its own terms. Gone were the days that China would be bullied by the West.
Recognizing the failure of central planning, while also taking into account the economic potential China had on the international stage, Deng Xiaoping embarked on a series of bold reforms. Unlike its humiliating experience of the late 19th century, China was opening up its markets without being the victim of gunboat diplomacy.
Deng’s regime enacted certain reforms that brought back market dynamics, albeit in limited form, to the Chinese economy. Land privatization and the creation of special economic zones helped make China more competitive on the international arena. According to certain reports, China’s annual GDP growth rate ranged from 9.5 to 11.5 percent from 1978 to 2013. Thanks to these market-based reforms, China’s GDP increased tenfold and, as a result, millions of Chinese were lifted out of poverty. The horrific scenes of the Great Leap Forward soon became a distant memory as skyscrapers dotted illustrious cities like Shanghai, and factories were built left and right to bolster China’s breakneck industrial growth. “Made in China” soon became a staple of China’s economic prowess, as it flooded the world with basic goods coming out of its factories. But this could never have been possible without China making an attempt to open up its markets.
As Milton Friedman observed, economic freedom is generally a precondition for political freedom. When societies see economic freedoms gradually expanded, the new rich and emerging middle classes begin demanding more political freedoms.
As Chinese economic growth soared throughout the 1980s, its citizens demanded more than just economic prosperity. The death of pro-reform Communist leader Hu Yaobang in April 1989, caused several disturbances throughout the country. While on the economic uptick, Post-Mao China was marked by political uncertainty and Hu’s death added more fuel to the fire. Both the general populace and the political elite were rocked by the market reforms of Deng’s regime, which benefited some members of the newly rising entrepreneurial class, but still did not satisfy China’s humbler citizens.
The ruling elite also faced some questions about political legitimacy. Some of the concerns centered around corruption, employment prospects, inflation, and political freedoms. China’s student class started to demand new freedoms such as democracy, transparency in government, and free speech rights among other things. Protests started to pop up throughout the country, with the main ones centering around Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
The Historical Significance of Tiananmen Square
Historically, Tiananmen Square held great significance in Chinese politics. It was the place where the May Fourth Movement of 1919 occurred, when students’ protests aired grievances with the Chinese government’s tepid response to the Treaty of Versailles, which awarded Japan territories in the Shandong province. This movement helped jumpstart the Chinese Communist and Nationalist movements respectively.
Fast forward 30 years, the Proclamation of the People’s Republic of China by Mao Zedong on October 1, 1949, took place on Tiananmen Square as well. This marked the end of the Chinese Communist Revolution (1945-1949) and ushered in the Communist Party’s dominance over Chinese politics.
In 1989, student protestors sought to use this same square as their platform to make history by demanding the introduction of basic civil liberties – such as free speech and the right to peacefully assemble against the government – concepts which were unheard of throughout China’s long political history. In the fateful month of April 1989, they took to the streets in protest. Indeed, these students made history, but things didn’t go as planned for them.
Chinese Leadership Becomes Weary of the Threat of Democratic Reforms
Wanting to preserve the Communist Party’s political supremacy at all costs, China’s paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping, along with his Communist Party brain trust, perceived the protests as a political threat. Wasting no time in responding to these protests, the Chinese government proceeded to use force after the Chinese State Council declared martial law on May 20th, and deployed approximately 300,000 troops to Beijing. When troops arrived in Beijing on June 4th, they began killing protestors and bystanders.
The Chinese government arrested thousands of protesters, cracked down on other demonstrations in the country, kicked out foreign journalists, censored coverage of the Tiananmen incident in the press, bolstered police powers, and purged officials it believed to be receptive to the protestors’ cause. Estimates pin the death toll from several hundred to thousands.
Unsurprisingly, this incident received international condemnation. However, China’s status as a nuclear power and its newfound prosperity positioned it where it could avoid any direct military confrontation from other countries who disapproved of its agenda. Unlike 19th century China, 20th century China could take bold political actions without the fear of international actors trying to directly attack it.
The Birth of Tank Man
A day after the crackdown, on June 5, 1989, one of the most iconic images from the Tiananmen protests emerged. A man, who would be known as Tank Man or the Unknown Rebel, stood in front of a convoy of tanks leaving Tiananmen Square.
The lead tank tried to maneuver past the man, but was met with nonviolent resistance. The man repeatedly shuffled in front of the tank to obstruct the tank’s path. After a while, the lead tank stopped in its tracks and the armored tanks behind it stopped as well. From there, a short pause began with the man and tanks remaining in a standstill.
The video footage then shows the man climbing on top of the tank’s turret and chatting with a crew member and the tank’s commander. After having a conversation, the man jumps back down and gets in front of the tank again. The standoff between the man and tank continued until two figures in blue came out and pulled the man to the side. To this day, witnesses at this event are unsure about who pulled the “Tank Man” to the side. Furthermore, the identity and fate of the man is still unknown, although there has been speculation that he was either executed or fled the country shortly thereafter.
China’s Authoritarianism Lives On
The Tiananmen Square massacre was indeed a turning point in Chinese history. After an unprecedented liberalization of the economy up until the late 1980s, the Chinese state firmly put the breaks on any type of political reform that would enhance political freedoms. China showed the entire world that it would put hard limits on freedom, even if it meant receiving stiff criticism from Western democratic governments. As a sovereign nuclear power, China could proceed with its domestic policy as it pleased, knowing full well that no other world power would try to aggress against it.
To this day, civil liberties that Westerners often take for granted are heavily restricted in China. Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China has embarked on one of the most ambitious censorship programs in human history. Now the Chinese state is even putting Muslim Uighurs in re-education camps, much to the chagrin of international human rights observers. The Tiananmen incident remains one of the most heavily censored topics in Chinese political discourse.
The iconic image of the man confronting the tanks is a strong symbol of mankind’s eternal struggle to achieve freedom. Despite its fantastic economic growth, China remains one of the more authoritarian countries in the world. Just like freedom did not come to the West overnight, basic freedoms will likely take decades before they firmly take root in China.
Until then, the Chinese state remains firm in its hold over the Chinese populace.
Source: Ammo.com
Born in Venezuela, José was one of the lucky few to leave the country right before the demagogic leader Hugo Chávez came into power. José’s family saw the writing on the wall and moved stateside in search of a better life.
José’s work has been published by the Mises Institute, the Foundation for Economic Education, Bitcoin Magazine, the American Institute for Economic Research, the Advocates for Self-Government, and Gunpower Magazine. He also appeared on the Tom Woods Show and Dana Loesch’s show Relentless.
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-06-04--This Is #TheGreatReset. You Have Been Warned.

Welcome back to New World Next Week — the video series from Corbett Report and Media Monarchy that covers some of the most important developments in open source intelligence news .
This week : Watch this video on BitChute / LBRY / Minds.com / YouTube or Download the mp4 Story # 1 : This Is Not a Revolution .
It ’ s a Blueprint for Locking Down the Nation .
• Thousands March In Wake Of George Floyd ’ s Death , From Amsterdam To Tokyo • Cookie-Cutter Unrest in Japan Shows the Global Covid Clampdown Is No Accident Story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Time For a ‘ Great Reset ’ ” • ‘ The Great Reset : How New Ways of Living and Working Drive Post-Crash Prosperity ’ Story # 3 : At Least 11 Local News Stations Caught Airing The Exact Same Amazon Propaganda Segment You can help support our independent and non-commercial work by visiting http : //CorbettReport.com/Support & http : //MediaMonarchy.com/Join .
Thank You .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $ 1 per month at Patreon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Flote , Minds , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By The Corbett Report
Welcome back to New World Next Week — the video series from Corbett Report and Media Monarchy that covers some of the most important developments in open source intelligence news. This week:
Watch this video on BitChute / LBRY / Minds.com / YouTube or Download the mp4
Story #1: This Is Not a Revolution. It’s a Blueprint for Locking Down the Nation.
Story #2: “Now Is The Time For a ‘Great Reset’”
Story #3: At Least 11 Local News Stations Caught Airing The Exact Same Amazon Propaganda Segment

You can help support our independent and non-commercial work by visiting http://CorbettReport.com/Support & http://MediaMonarchy.com/Join. Thank You.
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-06-04--After Massive Uprising, City Council Members Look to Entirely Disband Minneapolis PD

Minneapolis , MN — After a massive uprising in Minneapolis , Minnesota that subsequently spread to nearly every state in the country , significant change appears to be on the horizon .
Several city council members in Minneapolis are reportedly in talks to disband the Minneapolis Police Department .
This would be a revolutionary move to effect positive change and allow the city to start over with a police force designed around public safety instead of predation and extortion .
“ Several of us on the council are working on finding out , what it would take to disband the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a member of the 13-person assembly that serves as the legislative branch of Minneapolis government , according to Alpha News Minnesota .
The talks over disbanding the police department come just days after one of the most chaotic weeks in American history that left many parts of Minneapolis and other cities burned to the ground and heavily damaged .
All of the chaos stemmed from a single flash point when officer Derek Chauvin put his knee on the neck of George Floyd and kept it there until he died .
It took several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact , as the riots raged on , instead of arresting him , dozens of cops protected him in his home .
What ’ s more , none of the other officers who either helped hold Floyd down or failed to stop a murder in progress have been arrested ( now in custody – Ed. )
.
It was only announced on Wednesday that they are “ facing charges.
” This shows just how corrupt and complacent the department has become .
“ It became clear by day two that people were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the response to George Floyd ’ s death needed to be much more than any prosecution could offer .
What people in the streets have won is a permanent , generational change to the mainstream view of policing , ” Fletcher said of the uprising ’ s success .
The talks could last for some time as the council hasn ’ t figured out exactly what disbanding the police department would look like yet .
Fletcher did mention that its replacement would be community-oriented , however .
“ I don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the council are working on finding out , what it would take to disband the MPD and start fresh with a community-oriented , non-violent public safety and outreach capacity , ” Fletcher wrote .
Fletcher blames the president of the Minneapolis police union for the violence as well , saying , Fletcher went on to point out the massive problem of law enforcement ’ s only tool — violence .
As TFTP has noted repeatedly , when your only tool is a hammer , everything starts to look like nails .
“ After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all week , he asserts that if they ’ d only been allowed to use more violence , they could have put a stop to demonstrations .
This is nonsense .
MPD officers chose him as their leader , ” he said .
While the move to disband the police department won ’ t come immediately , other steps have already taken place which have shut the police department off from citizens to protect them .
As the Star Tribune reports , the Minneapolis Public School board voted unanimously Tuesday to terminate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resource officers .
The district will cease further negotiations with the department and Superintendent Ed Graff must come up with a new plan for school safety by the board ’ s Aug. 18 meeting .
“ I value people and education and life , ” school board chairwoman Kim Ellison said in an interview .
“ Now I ’ m convinced , based on the actions of the Minneapolis Police Department , that we don ’ t have the same values.
” “ I firmly believe that it is completely unnatural to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member Kimberly Caprini said during the meeting .
And she is right .
As frequent readers of TFTP know , school cops are constantly in the news for beating , maiming , and kidnapping school children over petty issues that could be handled with detention or nothing at all .
Also , if you think disbanding the police department would send the city into chaos , think again .
TFTP has reported on numerous cases which show the opposite is true , illustrating that most policing carried out in the United States is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collection and not to fight crime .
Drug offenses , parking violations , and traffic citations are not so much crimes , as they are streams of revenue for the city .
They are also the reason for the majority of police harassment within particular communities .
Imagine a police force that acted more like firefighters or EMTs .
Firefighters don ’ t have to go door to door looking for fires , in order to be effective .
EMTs , just like firefighters wait for a call before reacting and their services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of police work .
Perhaps this recent chaos can be used to channel this notion to the forefront and completely revamp the idea of policing in the land of the free .
We can only hope that this comes sooner than later .
To see how you can help to make it come sooner , click here .
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA .
This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world .
Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project .
Follow @ MattAgorist on Twitter , Steemit , and now on Minds .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $ 1 per month at Patreon .
Follow us on SoMee , HIVE , Flote , Minds , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Matt Agorist
Minneapolis, MN — After a massive uprising in Minneapolis, Minnesota that subsequently spread to nearly every state in the country, significant change appears to be on the horizon. Several city council members in Minneapolis are reportedly in talks to disband the Minneapolis Police Department. This would be a revolutionary move to effect positive change and allow the city to start over with a police force designed around public safety instead of predation and extortion.
“Several of us on the council are working on finding out, what it would take to disband the MPD,” says Steve Fletcher, a member of the 13-person assembly that serves as the legislative branch of Minneapolis government, according to Alpha News Minnesota.
The talks over disbanding the police department come just days after one of the most chaotic weeks in American history that left many parts of Minneapolis and other cities burned to the ground and heavily damaged. All of the chaos stemmed from a single flash point when officer Derek Chauvin put his knee on the neck of George Floyd and kept it there until he died.
It took several days for Chauvin to be arrested. In fact, as the riots raged on, instead of arresting him, dozens of cops protected him in his home.
Damn… Instead of arresting Derek Chauvin for murdering George Floyd, 200 cops are being paid by tax dollars to protect him and his house. Yes, innocent until proven guilty, but he should already be charged and arrested, yet he was not. This is why people burn shit. https://t.co/qtgzQWiW7M — Matt Agorist (@MattAgorist) May 28, 2020
What’s more, none of the other officers who either helped hold Floyd down or failed to stop a murder in progress have been arrested (now in custody – Ed.). It was only announced on Wednesday that they are “facing charges.” This shows just how corrupt and complacent the department has become.
“It became clear by day two that people were marching for much more than that – the response to George Floyd’s death needed to be much more than any prosecution could offer. What people in the streets have won is a permanent, generational change to the mainstream view of policing,” Fletcher said of the uprising’s success.
The talks could last for some time as the council hasn’t figured out exactly what disbanding the police department would look like yet. Fletcher did mention that its replacement would be community-oriented, however.
“I don’t know yet, though several of us on the council are working on finding out, what it would take to disband the MPD and start fresh with a community-oriented, non-violent public safety and outreach capacity,” Fletcher wrote.
Fletcher blames the president of the Minneapolis police union for the violence as well, saying,
I don’t want to focus too much on Bob Kroll because he’s a symptom of a much deeper problem in the Minneapolis Police Department, but it’s worth saying that he’s a malignant presence in our city and should resign.
Fletcher went on to point out the massive problem of law enforcement’s only tool — violence. As TFTP has noted repeatedly, when your only tool is a hammer, everything starts to look like nails.
“After watching MPD officers escalate and provoke anger all week, he asserts that if they’d only been allowed to use more violence, they could have put a stop to demonstrations. This is nonsense. MPD officers chose him as their leader,” he said.
While the move to disband the police department won’t come immediately, other steps have already taken place which have shut the police department off from citizens to protect them.
As the Star Tribune reports, the Minneapolis Public School board voted unanimously Tuesday to terminate the MPD’s contract to provide school resource officers. The district will cease further negotiations with the department and Superintendent Ed Graff must come up with a new plan for school safety by the board’s Aug. 18 meeting.
“I value people and education and life,” school board chairwoman Kim Ellison said in an interview. “Now I’m convinced, based on the actions of the Minneapolis Police Department, that we don’t have the same values.”
“I firmly believe that it is completely unnatural to have police in schools,” school board member Kimberly Caprini said during the meeting.
And she is right. As frequent readers of TFTP know, school cops are constantly in the news for beating, maiming, and kidnapping school children over petty issues that could be handled with detention or nothing at all.
Also, if you think disbanding the police department would send the city into chaos, think again. TFTP has reported on numerous cases which show the opposite is true, illustrating that most policing carried out in the United States is done so for the purpose of revenue collection and not to fight crime.
Drug offenses, parking violations, and traffic citations are not so much crimes, as they are streams of revenue for the city. They are also the reason for the majority of police harassment within particular communities.
Imagine a police force that acted more like firefighters or EMTs. Firefighters don’t have to go door to door looking for fires, in order to be effective. EMTs, just like firefighters wait for a call before reacting and their services are often proven invaluable contrary to that of police work. Perhaps this recent chaos can be used to channel this notion to the forefront and completely revamp the idea of policing in the land of the free. We can only hope that this comes sooner than later. To see how you can help to make it come sooner, click here.
Source: The Free Thought Project
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter, Steemit, and now on Minds.
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-06-04--Border Patrol Drone Used to Spy on Minneapolis Protests

MINNEAPOLIS , Minn. ( June 4 , 2020 ) – United States Customs and Border Patrol ( CBP ) flew an unarmed Predator drone over the streets of Minneapolis to surveil protesters in the wake George Floyd ’ s death last week .
This is a prime example of how the federal surveillance state expands without any meaningful limits in place .
Federal authorities said the drone was deployed “ to provide situational awareness.
” “ Earlier today a U.S. Customs and Border Protection , Air and Marine Operations unmanned aircraft system was preparing to provide live video to aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our federal law enforcement partners in Minneapolis , ” a spokesperson for CBP told Recode in an email .
“ The unmanned aircraft system provides live video feed to ground law enforcement , giving them situational awareness , maximizing public safety , while minimizing the threat to personnel and assets.
” It remains unclear what type of surveillance technology the CBP drone carried .
According to a report by the Electronic Frontier Foundation , drones can be equipped with various types of surveillance equipment that can collect high definition video and still images @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipped with technology allowing them to intercept cell phone calls , determine GPS locations , and gather license plate information .
Drones can be used to determine whether individuals are carrying guns .
Synthetic-aperture radar can identify changes in the landscape , such as footprints and tire tracks .
Some drones are even equipped with facial recognition .
It is highly likely that the drone recorded extremely detailed information on protesters that will enable law enforcement officers to identify them .
It is also likely that this information has been stored in permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal law enforcement agencies through fusion centers and the Information Sharing Environment ( ISE ) .
ACLU senior legislative counsel Neema Singh Guliani condemned the use of the drone , saying the CBP had no role in what was happening in Minneapolis .
CBP ostensibly patrols the border .
Minneapolis lies nearly 300 miles from the Canadian border .
So , why was a CBP drone spying on protesters in the city ?
Apparently , the agency often partners with other law enforcement agencies to perform non-border patrol policing .
The CPB spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducts operations with other federal , state , and local law enforcement entities to assist law enforcement and humanitarian relief efforts.
” According to Vox , officials did not reveal the specific law enforcement agency that requested the drone to monitor the Minneapolis protests .
This reveals the intertwined nature of the police state in the U.S .
Jurisdictional and agency jurisdictions have been virtually erased by the progressive federalization of policing for the “ war on drugs ” and the “ war on terror.
” It also reveals how the surveillance state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Shirin Ghaffary , the CBP has deployed military surveillance drones at the border since 2006 .
With no meaningful limits on drone surveillance , we now have those same military UAVs flying over a protest hundreds of miles from the border .
This proves warnings about surveillance mission-creep should be heeded .
If we allow the government to operate invasive surveillance technology without limits , there will literally be no limits to the level of spying the government will subject us to .
Michael Maharrey [ send him email ] is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center .
He is from the original home of the Principles of ’ 98 – Kentucky and currently resides in northern Florida .
See his blog archive here and his article archive here.He is the author of the book , Our Last Hope : Rediscovering the Lost Path to Liberty .
You can visit his personal website at MichaelMaharrey.com and like him on Facebook HERE Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
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Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Michael Maharrey
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (June 4, 2020) – United States Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) flew an unarmed Predator drone over the streets of Minneapolis to surveil protesters in the wake George Floyd’s death last week. This is a prime example of how the federal surveillance state expands without any meaningful limits in place.
Federal authorities said the drone was deployed “to provide situational awareness.”
“Earlier today a U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations unmanned aircraft system was preparing to provide live video to aid in situational awareness at the request of our federal law enforcement partners in Minneapolis,” a spokesperson for CBP told Recode in an email. “The unmanned aircraft system provides live video feed to ground law enforcement, giving them situational awareness, maximizing public safety, while minimizing the threat to personnel and assets.”
It remains unclear what type of surveillance technology the CBP drone carried. According to a report by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, drones can be equipped with various types of surveillance equipment that can collect high definition video and still images day and night. Drones can be equipped with technology allowing them to intercept cell phone calls, determine GPS locations, and gather license plate information. Drones can be used to determine whether individuals are carrying guns. Synthetic-aperture radar can identify changes in the landscape, such as footprints and tire tracks. Some drones are even equipped with facial recognition.
It is highly likely that the drone recorded extremely detailed information on protesters that will enable law enforcement officers to identify them. It is also likely that this information has been stored in permanent databases accessible to state, local and federal law enforcement agencies through fusion centers and the Information Sharing Environment (ISE).
ACLU senior legislative counsel Neema Singh Guliani condemned the use of the drone, saying the CBP had no role in what was happening in Minneapolis.
This rogue agency’s use of military technology to surveil protesters inside US borders is deeply disturbing, especially given CBP’s lack of clear and strong policies to protect privacy and constitutional rights.
CBP ostensibly patrols the border. Minneapolis lies nearly 300 miles from the Canadian border. So, why was a CBP drone spying on protesters in the city?
Apparently, the agency often partners with other law enforcement agencies to perform non-border patrol policing. The CPB spokesperson told Recode that the agency “routinely conducts operations with other federal, state, and local law enforcement entities to assist law enforcement and humanitarian relief efforts.” According to Vox, officials did not reveal the specific law enforcement agency that requested the drone to monitor the Minneapolis protests.
This reveals the intertwined nature of the police state in the U.S. Jurisdictional and agency jurisdictions have been virtually erased by the progressive federalization of policing for the “war on drugs” and the “war on terror.”
It also reveals how the surveillance state expands. According to reporting by Recode’s Shirin Ghaffary, the CBP has deployed military surveillance drones at the border since 2006. With no meaningful limits on drone surveillance, we now have those same military UAVs flying over a protest hundreds of miles from the border. This proves warnings about surveillance mission-creep should be heeded. If we allow the government to operate invasive surveillance technology without limits, there will literally be no limits to the level of spying the government will subject us to.
Source: Tenth Amendment Center
Michael Maharrey [send him email] is the Communications Director for the Tenth Amendment Center. He is from the original home of the Principles of ’98 – Kentucky and currently resides in northern Florida. See his blog archive here and his article archive here.He is the author of the book, Our Last Hope: Rediscovering the Lost Path to Liberty. You can visit his personal website at MichaelMaharrey.com and like him on Facebook HERE
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-06-04--1000s Descend On “Illegal Vigil” In Hong Kong’s Victoria Park Honoring Victims Of Tiananmen Square M

1000s Descend On “Illegal Vigil” In Hong Kong’s Victoria Park Honoring Victims Of Tiananmen Square Massacre

Authorities may have banned an official peaceful demonstration honoring the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre and passed a new law making “ shows of disrespect ” toward the Chinese National Anthem , but thousands of Hong Kongers are still finding ways to honor the 31st anniversary of a massacre where hundreds , or more likely thousands , of peaceful protesters were murdered by the Chinese military .
Beijing banned the peaceful vigil – an annual tradition – for the first time this year amid a crackdown on Hong Kong ’ s freedoms spurred by the pro-democracy movement that brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HK .
Twice , pro-democracy lawmakers disrupted proceedings as the new national anthem law was being passed .
Despite the declaration , crowds poured into Victoria Park to light candles and observe a minute of silence at 2009PA ( 0809ET ) .
Many chanted “ Democracy now ” and “ Stand for freedom , stand with Hong Kong.
” Police stood by , playing recordings warning attendees not to engage in the vigil .
Police also cited the need for social distancing to be maintained .
Police cited the need for social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sprawling park , but activists saw that as a convenient excuse .
Hundreds and possibly thousands of people were killed when tanks and troops moved in on the night of June 3-4 , 1989 , to break up weeks of student-led protests that had spread to other cities and were seen as a threat to Communist Party rule .
“ The Chinese Communists want us all to forget about what happened 31 years ago , ” Wu ’ er told the AP in Taiwan , where he lives .
“ But it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world that they are the same government…doing the same in Hong Kong.
” Tiananmen Square itself was empty on Thursday , as Chinese police once again engaged in the practice of placing known dissidents under house arrest for the day .
Meanwhile , police arrested protesters in other parts of the city .
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By Tyler Durden
Authorities may have banned an official peaceful demonstration honoring the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre and passed a new law making “shows of disrespect” toward the Chinese National Anthem, but thousands of Hong Kongers are still finding ways to honor the 31st anniversary of a massacre where hundreds, or more likely thousands, of peaceful protesters were murdered by the Chinese military.
From this angle, Victoria Park looks almost as busy as it did last year. Hongkongers have come out in force #june4th pic.twitter.com/3dzDiS9diP — Rachel Blundy (@rachelblundy) June 4, 2020
Beijing banned the peaceful vigil – an annual tradition – for the first time this year amid a crackdown on Hong Kong’s freedoms spurred by the pro-democracy movement that brought chaos and disorder to the streets of HK.
Twice, pro-democracy lawmakers disrupted proceedings as the new national anthem law was being passed.
Despite the declaration, crowds poured into Victoria Park to light candles and observe a minute of silence at 2009PA (0809ET). Many chanted “Democracy now” and “Stand for freedom, stand with Hong Kong.” Police stood by, playing recordings warning attendees not to engage in the vigil. Police also cited the need for social distancing to be maintained.
Police cited the need for social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak in barricading the sprawling park, but activists saw that as a convenient excuse.
“We all know the Hong Kong government and the Chinese government really don’t want to see the candle lights in Victoria Park,” said Wu’er Kaixi, a former student leader who was No. 2 on the government’s most-wanted list following the Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Thousands in Hong Kong defy ban on Tiananmen vigil https://t.co/0JxzrLeR0Y pic.twitter.com/ZqyLYVaunb — Andy Vermaut (@AndyVermaut) June 4, 2020
Hundreds and possibly thousands of people were killed when tanks and troops moved in on the night of June 3-4, 1989, to break up weeks of student-led protests that had spread to other cities and were seen as a threat to Communist Party rule.
“The Chinese Communists want us all to forget about what happened 31 years ago,” Wu’er told the AP in Taiwan, where he lives. “But it is the Chinese government themselves reminding the whole world that they are the same government…doing the same in Hong Kong.”
Tiananmen Square itself was empty on Thursday, as Chinese police once again engaged in the practice of placing known dissidents under house arrest for the day.
Meanwhile, police arrested protesters in other parts of the city.
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
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