On the 35th anniversary of the June Fourth incident, a group of pro-democracy organizations held a symposium at the “June Fourth Memorial Hall” in Manhattan, New York, pointing out that June Fourth was a day that made the Chinese Communist Party “chill its spine,” and today the CCP is powerless to struggle. Commemorating June Fourth is to start the pro-democracy movement again. With the involvement of new forces from mainland China, there are successors in the pro-democracy movement.
The participants in the symposium included representatives from the 1989 student movement, eyewitnesses of the June Fourth incident, political commentators, leaders of pro-democracy groups, and new members of the China Democratic Party.
In April 1989, a large-scale student gathering and demonstration erupted in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, demanding an end to corruption and authoritarianism, and calling for democracy and freedom. In the early hours of June 4, the CCP deployed troops to clear the square, shooting at unarmed student demonstrators and civilians, resulting in heavy casualties. The movement was labeled as a counter-revolutionary riot, with student leaders at the time being wanted, sentenced to long prison terms, or exiled abroad. Pro-democracy activists on the mainland have long been monitored and suppressed.
Political commentator Hu Ping pointed out that fascist regimes and communist regimes in Eastern Europe have long since disappeared, memorializing events like the victory over fascism, the Normandy landings, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Jewish Holocaust, and the Nanjing Massacre are different from commemorating June Fourth, as those events have become history – the principles of justice have been reestablished. However, June Fourth is different – the authoritarian regime that committed those atrocities is still in power, continuing to oppress the people. Freedom fighters are either imprisoned or forced into exile. “June Fourth is not a thing of the past, but a continuing present, so commemorating June Fourth is also a form of resistance.”
Hu Ping stated that the CCP’s purpose in the June Fourth massacre was not just to kill people but to instill a strong sense of fear in the Chinese populace, so they dare not resist. Commemorating June Fourth is not just about remembering but about looking forward, about restarting the pro-democracy movement – which requires overcoming fear, overcoming the so-called defeatism, and recognizing that the authoritarian regime of the CCP can be defeated, and grassroots resistance can succeed.
Chen Chuangchuang, the executive director of the China Democratic Party Central Committee, said that in recent years, the situation for pro-democracy movements has been getting better, with new forces from the mainland joining in. Due to the CCP’s persecution becoming universal, more and more people are pushed to oppose the Party. Changes in China and the international situation in recent years mean that pro-democracy activists can no longer sit back as losers.
Chen Chuangchuang said: “We stand on the side of justice, and we will ultimately prevail.”
Political commentator and veteran pro-democracy activist Chen Pokong said that 35 years ago, it seemed as though the Chinese people had failed, but the CCP didn’t win either. The CCP did not expect June Fourth, 1989, to be forgotten by the world. While Hong Kong has been taken over by CCP terrorism, this year, the lights of remembrance for June Fourth are still lit on Lion Rock, and newspapers continue to silently protest. “The CCP has gained Hong Kong, but what have they really gained? The free world has lost Hong Kong, and the global Chinese community has lost a piece of free land. But the CCP has also lost Hong Kong.”
Chen Pokong added, “On June Fourth, the CCP feels a chill down its spine, its heart shattered, trembling with fear, restless day and night, because they know that no matter how long they reign, this is their judgment day, their doomsday, meaning they will be held accountable.”
Chen Pokong said that the democratic forces are the “rising tide that follows where others lead,” with successors such as the blank paper movement, the blank paper revolution, the cries of young people, and the resistance of Hong Kongers. “June Fourth is an unforgettable nightmare for the CCP, a nightmare that haunts them. The CCP will not struggle for much longer, and the Chinese people’s pursuit of democracy will not be extinguished.”
Publisher of “Beijing Spring” Yu Dahai said that the CCP is a threat to the free world, and its rule should end as soon as possible.
The symposium was moderated by lawyer Gao Guangjun, and veteran pro-democracy activists Tang Yuanjun, former member of the “Gong Zi Lian” Lou Jinghua, and Tsangchung Jiacuo, the North American Chinese liaison officer of the Tibetan Administration, spoke at the event.
After the symposium, participants and members of the China Democratic Party held a march, from the June Fourth Memorial Hall to the Chinese Consulate, chanting slogans such as “Down with the Chinese Communist Party!” and “Never forget June Fourth, blood debts must be repaid!” They held banners saying “CCP = Enemy of Humanity” and “Severely Crack Down on CCP Influence in the US, Thoroughly Block CCP Infiltration,” expressing their hope for the early fall of the CCP.