Two decades after the military crackdown on pro-democracy student protests in Beijing, the Chinese government has proven itself to be just as oppressive toward peaceful free speech today as it was back then. Police officers filled the square yesterday to prevent any show of commemoration for the tragedy, silent or spoken. The government even went so far as to shut down internet services like Twitter and university message boards where people could share sympathies or express dissent. Foreign correspondents reporting on the scene were forcibly turned away and their views were blocked. Al Jazeera posted this video of a reporter’s dance with censorship enforcement:
Rock star Hillary Clinton responded by urging the government to publish the names of the hundreds that died in the massacre.
She sets an example for how we all can handle the glaring silence: with sympathy and commentary.
Click here for the full report.
~Hannah
