FROM THE ARCHIVES: The History of Protest in China

Thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil for victims of the Chinese government’s brutal military crackdown three decades ago on protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square at Victoria Park in Hong Kong, Tuesday, June 4, 2019. Hong Kong is the only region under Beijing’s jurisdiction that holds significant public commemorations of the 1989 crackdown and memorials for its victims. Hong Kong has a degree of freedom not seen on the mainland as a legacy of British rule that ended in 1997.
Thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil for victims of the Chinese government's brutal military crackdown three decades ago on protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square at Victoria Park in Hong Kong, Tuesday, June 4, 2019. Hong Kong is the only region under Beijing's jurisdiction that holds significant public commemorations of the 1989 crackdown and memorials for its victims. Hong Kong has a degree of freedom not seen on the mainland as a legacy of British rule that ended in 1997. Kin Cheung / AP Photo
Thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil for victims of the Chinese government’s brutal military crackdown three decades ago on protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square at Victoria Park in Hong Kong, Tuesday, June 4, 2019. Hong Kong is the only region under Beijing’s jurisdiction that holds significant public commemorations of the 1989 crackdown and memorials for its victims. Hong Kong has a degree of freedom not seen on the mainland as a legacy of British rule that ended in 1997.
Thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil for victims of the Chinese government's brutal military crackdown three decades ago on protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square at Victoria Park in Hong Kong, Tuesday, June 4, 2019. Hong Kong is the only region under Beijing's jurisdiction that holds significant public commemorations of the 1989 crackdown and memorials for its victims. Hong Kong has a degree of freedom not seen on the mainland as a legacy of British rule that ended in 1997. Kin Cheung / AP Photo

FROM THE ARCHIVES: The History of Protest in China

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2019 marks 25 years that Worldview has brought you human stories from at home and abroad. Before Worldview goes off the air this fall, we’re supplementing our coverage with selections from our deep archive. Jonathan Spence, former Professor of History and Yale University joined us in 1999 to talk about the history of protest in China. At the time, our show was looking back at different aspects of the Tiananmen Square Protests — only 10 years afterward. Since the segment was aired, China has ramped up its security state with the use of Artificial Intelligence technology and social credit systems. References to the Tiananmen massacre don’t show up on web searches in the country. Now, as protests seep Hong Kong, many fear that similar military interventions might face civilians.

Special thanks to the WBEZ Archives Team for cataloging 25 years of Worldview and making this segment possible.