There were international reactions toward the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. In Vancouver, British Columbia, the Chinese community was among those who stood against the Chinese Communist Party’s decision to take military action against student protesters. To demonstrate their support of the students in Tiananmen Square, various Chinese Canadian Organizations protested in Vancouver.
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Using similar tactics as the university students in Beijing, 1000 protesters took to Granville Street in Vancouver, British Columbia and marched to the Chinese Consulate. The Vancouver Sun reported that protesters wore black armbands, carried banners with slogans like “Li Peng, you are a beast!” or “Today’s menu Deng Xiaoping Stew—Free delivery all over China” and demanded a statement from the consul-general.[1] Members of various Chinese organizations attended the demonstration including vice-president of the Chinese Benevolent Association of Canada Gim Huey. Huey said that the weekend massacre in Beijing has ended support for state communism in China.[1] Chinese university students from British Columbia also participated in the events. A student from the University of Victoria said, “Tiananmen Square has never been attacked by any government even the Japanese, Chinese culture has a long civilization that was destroyed by the government”.[1]
In the following weeks the demonstrations continued. On June 6, 1989, 5000 members of the Vancouver Chinese community, also marched to Granville Street in Vancouver to the Chinese Consulate and held a 40-minute candlelight memorial service.[2] Six days later, on June 12, 1989, more members of the Vancouver’s Chinese community rallied in Vancouver’s Chinatown. A group of 13,000 protesters joined this rally, which was followed by a speech by local political leader Ed Broadbent. Broadbent of the New Democratic Party, called for the immediate withdrawal of the Canadian Ambassador in China and an emergency debate of the crisis by the United Nations Security Council.[3] Afterward, demonstrators took turns expressing their feelings about the Chinese Government’s decisions to use military violence on students. A Chinese student from Simon Fraser University stated, “For each of those who have fallen, 1000 Chinese will come forward and rise up”.[4]
On August 22, 1989, Vancouver’s Chinese community as well as other human rights activists united at Robson Square to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre with an art exhibition. The exhibition was created from different media sources like videos, images news clippings and also included discussions for a replica of the Beijing students, ‘Goddess of Democracy'.[5] After the exhibition, the community debated on an appropriate space for a replica statue. Members of Vancouver’s Society in Support of Democratic Movement believed a replica of the ‘Goddess of Democracy’ should be placed in Vancouver’s Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (the garden is dedicated to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen a nationalist leader considered to be the father of modern China).[5] However, the garden’s boards of trustees did not want the statue, because the garden was not a political forum.[5] Others speculate that the trustees did not want the statue because the Chinese Communist Party donated more than $500, 000 to the building of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden.[5] The ‘Goddess of Democracy’ debate continued on August 26, 1989. Gim Huey, chairman of Vancouver’s Chinese Benevolent Association, pleaded that the statue must be in Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden, stating that it was “not political” but was “promoting freedom and democracy".[6] Gim Huey believed “Dr. Sun Yat-Sen stood for freedom and that’s the whole spirit of the Garden”.[6] After failed talks with the Vancouver Park Board the proposed replica statue had no home. Finally, after much lobbying, the Vancouver Society in Support for the Democracy Movement was optimistic when talks began with the University of British Columbia. Reportedly, “the society approached UBC through a campus organizations of Chinese students and scholars and got a warm welcome”.[7] These plans followed through as the ‘Goddess of Democracy’ statues reside at the University of British Columbia today.
China’s National Day, celebrated on October 1, further stirred up feelings over the Tiananmen Square Massacre. National day celebrates the finding of the Peoples Republic of China. In Vancouver the Chinese community was divided on how to celebrate National Day. Two separate events were planned. Supporters for democracy in China proposed a 24-hour fast along with a reenactment of the Beijing students’ tent camps.[8] The Chinese Cultural Center and Chinese Benevolent Association proposed that regular National Day events like lion dancing and dinner should take place . Bill Chu from the Canadian Christians for Democratic Movement in China claimed that, decisions to continue regular National Day celebrations were another Chinese government cover-up and said that telephone polls showed that “71.6% of Vancouver’s Chinese community opposed celebrations”.[8] Tommy Toa, former director of the Chinese Benevolent Association stated, “To celebrate national day without condemnation of the current Chinese government is hypocritical […] I believe if we celebrate anything we should celebrate the courage and determination of the Chinese people seeking democracy”.[9] In reaction to the pro-democracy stance, the director of the Chinese Cultural Center Dr. K.T Yue said because Canada still recognized the Chinese government, “we go along with the government”, even though he sympathized with the democracy movement.[9]
On October 1, 1989 the National Day events unfolded with two clear stances. A protest of more than 500 pro-democracy supporters, was held outside the Main street Skytrain station in Vancouver, against the Tiananmen Square Massacre.[10] Chan Kwok-Kin criticized those who attended the regular National Day celebrations stating, “I think those who are feasting are doing so for personal gain”.[10] Others like the Chinese Benevolent Association’s president Bill Yee defended their National Day celebration, arguing that it was rooted in a 30-year-old tradition.[10]