There is, of course, the iconic picture of the man standing in front of the tanks leaving Tiananmen Square; although the event did not occur until June 5, it is celebrated as someone who stood his ground even though tanks tried to go around him.
The tanks and soldiers had just finished destroying the demonstrations that lasted from May 19 through June 4 calling for democracy. Students began by creating a statue called the “Goddess of Democracy” and camped out in the Square, joined later by many ordinary people, calling for democracy. It ended in a bloodbath.
Today Chinese authorities closed off the Square and cracked down on any signs of remembrance, whether in China or Hong Kong. Even a candle emoji is banned by a government afraid to acknowledge its past. Doesn’t this remind us of people who are afraid of our history as well?
Prayer for the Day
Afraid of knowing what our past may tell us, O God,
We shut off history and pretend all was well.
Fearful that when we know the truth of past actions,
We will change our trajectory and move in different directions.
God of memory, open our spirits so we accept who we have been,
So we embrace a future without fear, becoming your people.
In the name of the One who taught without fear,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
June Fourth continues to be a collective memory among people in Hong Kong and you do see some of them make veiled references to the date by wearing black or through other gestures.
Maya Wang, Human Rights Watch
The June 4 tragedy is a historical tragedy that the Chinese government must face and explain to its people, and some people in the Government at that time should be held legally responsible for the indiscriminate killing of innocents.
Statement by Tiananmen Mothers, website blocked in China
O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;
Many are saying to me, “There is no help for you in God.”
But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
I cry aloud to the Lord, and the Lord answers me from the holy hill.
Psalm 3: 1-4