Beijing students protest against October 1st parade rehearsals

In the upcoming October 1 celebration of the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing will be mobilizing over one hundred thousands secondary and university students for parades. As it is compulsory for students to participate in the prolong parade rehearsal, some are not happy about it.

Apple Daily, a newspapers in Hong Kong, reported on 18 September 2009 that some students are annoyed by the prolong and compulsory rehearsals since the summer holiday. As the rehearsals has disrupted students’ study after the school term started, some decided to act against the unreasonable arrangement:

有北京大學生不滿當局的安排，在網上發起罷練行動的同時，公然焚燒訓練服抵制演練。事件引起當局極度緊張，除封鎖消息外，還派人嚴控大專院校及嚴懲涉事學生。

Some Beijing university students are dissatisfied with the authority. They have started an online campaign to boycott against the rehearsals. Some even burned the rehearsal uniforms openly. The authority takes the students’ reactions very seriously. Apart from blocking news reports, it has sent delegates to school campus in order to control and punish the students involved. 

While discussions and reporting about these protests have been banned in mainland China, there are some discussions among overseas and Hong Kong Chinese.

On a forum in a portal for Chinese Canadian:

waves 2009-09-18 12:30: 學生真可憐，思想被奴化，肉體也被奴役，怪不得那麼多人爭破頭也要出國留學。

食量就是力量 2009-09-18 16:25: 就不明白, 為什麼不低調點, 悄悄過了就算了, 現在花了那麼多錢, 勞了那麼多民, 簡直就是壹場煙火, 看過了就算。

On One-forum in Hong Kong:

qingqing 2009-09-18 03:22: 讀大學了，還可以任由校外的“上級指示”的，到底是不是大學生呢？讀大學了，還要被迫去玩這樣的小兒科遊戲，不是侮辱了你作為大學生的尊嚴嗎？這樣也不敢 抗議，杯葛，到時不合作演出，故意破壞演出，故意出錯，你們還是大學生嗎？

In another Hong Kong forum, Civilian Gunner:

louisli 2009-09-18 10:57: 係唔係要練到同北韓睇齊？

seamoncheng 2009-09-18 19:33: 大陸到而家都重係死要面…成班官都係無腦架..係到勞民傷財

Andy 2009-09-18 19:38: 佢地先有腦, 搞埋呢D面子工程, 攞正牌搵銀

[Photo taken from Apple Daily]