Anti-Japan Protest in Beijing
This is getting out of hand. I can understand where the anger and frustrations are. But the news remains very disturbing. I fear that one day, these tensions may fuel a military conflict - that's not something I want to see.
Danwei: "The last time such a march happened in Beijing was on May 9, 1999, when Chinese students marched from Haidian to the US Embassy, to protest against the US Airforce bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. During that protest, stones and molotov cocktails were thrown over the embassy walls, but the police chased everyone away once the point had been made."
Eye witness report from Willem van Kemenade suggested a different picture than most mainstream media. Another eye-witness report from a Swedish in Beijing shares the same conclusion.
Edward Friedman: "I feel sad for these passionately patriotic Chinese students constrained by the regime into acting as 110%ers on the agenda permitted by the dominant line and precluded from protesting outrages inside of China by their home government, the natural target of normal student movements all around the world. The students are not manipulated puppets. They are full of energy to contribute to the common weal. I believe there are plenty of idealists who want to contribute to China's good and just can't find too many outlets for their idealism."
I have been reading some news stories about the anti-Japanese protests in China and its immediate consequences last week. I heard the views of the Chinese people, the Chinese government, the Japanese government and Japanese businessmen working in China. But nowhere have I seen reactions from people in Japan. I wonder what Japanese people think about all these protests?
BEIJING (Reuters) - Thousands of Chinese smashed windows and threw rocks at the Japanese embassy and ambassador's residence in Beijing on Saturday in a protest against Japan's wartime past and its bid for a U.N. Security Council seat.
Protesters pushed their way through a paramilitary police cordon to the gates of the Japanese ambassador's residence, throwing stones and water bottles and shouting "Japanese pig come out."
Some 500 paramilitary police holding plastic shields raced into the compound and barricaded the gates. Protesters threw stones and bricks at the residence, and shouted at police, "Chinese people shouldn't protect Japanese."
Photo by J5EE
More photos (some of them quite disturbing) from:
Dali, Chinabyte and Xinhaiguang. via China Digital Times.
Danwei: "The last time such a march happened in Beijing was on May 9, 1999, when Chinese students marched from Haidian to the US Embassy, to protest against the US Airforce bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. During that protest, stones and molotov cocktails were thrown over the embassy walls, but the police chased everyone away once the point had been made."
Eye witness report from Willem van Kemenade suggested a different picture than most mainstream media. Another eye-witness report from a Swedish in Beijing shares the same conclusion.
Edward Friedman: "I feel sad for these passionately patriotic Chinese students constrained by the regime into acting as 110%ers on the agenda permitted by the dominant line and precluded from protesting outrages inside of China by their home government, the natural target of normal student movements all around the world. The students are not manipulated puppets. They are full of energy to contribute to the common weal. I believe there are plenty of idealists who want to contribute to China's good and just can't find too many outlets for their idealism."
I have been reading some news stories about the anti-Japanese protests in China and its immediate consequences last week. I heard the views of the Chinese people, the Chinese government, the Japanese government and Japanese businessmen working in China. But nowhere have I seen reactions from people in Japan. I wonder what Japanese people think about all these protests?
