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Lushan Square Massacre: Difference between revisions
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The 1991 economic crisis propelled the [[Party of Corummese Democrats]] into power shortly after, with political leaders of said party echoing many of the demands that the student movement had championed a few years before. Once in power however, the new government moved speedily to consolidate its electoral mandate into control of all levers of power. In the fall of 1995 the Ministry of Education published a directive seriously curtailing the academic, administrative and budgetary independence of the National University. The National Strike Council quickly came out against these changes and called students and teachers to flood the streets of the capital. For five days, the streets of [[Mirzak]] were paralyzed by throngs of peaceful protesters calling on the government to reverse course. On October 8th, the Chancellor [[Linge Chen]] gave a menacing speech before the National Assembly, calling on protesters to stop behaving like hooligans and grasp the government's outstretched hand and negotiate. The National Strike Council denounced the speech as authoritarian and rejected to engage in negotiations 'under threat of repression'. | The 1991 economic crisis propelled the [[Party of Corummese Democrats]] into power shortly after, with political leaders of said party echoing many of the demands that the student movement had championed a few years before. Once in power however, the new government moved speedily to consolidate its electoral mandate into control of all levers of power. In the fall of 1995 the Ministry of Education published a directive seriously curtailing the academic, administrative and budgetary independence of the National University. The National Strike Council quickly came out against these changes and called students and teachers to flood the streets of the capital. For five days, the streets of [[Mirzak]] were paralyzed by throngs of peaceful protesters calling on the government to reverse course. On October 8th, the Chancellor [[Linge Chen]] gave a menacing speech before the National Assembly, calling on protesters to stop behaving like hooligans and grasp the government's outstretched hand and negotiate. The National Strike Council denounced the speech as authoritarian and rejected to engage in negotiations 'under threat of repression'. | ||
==Massacre== | ==Massacre== | ||
On October 10th the National Strike Council called its biggest demonstration yet, calling on students to pack the central Republic Square in a show of strength. City authorities however blocked them with police barriers and slowly herded them towards the smaller Lushan Square. Unbeknownst to protesters, military units had been streaming into the capital since before Chen's speech on the 8th, with a decision to use force being reached possibly on the 6th. Unknown sources claimed that then [[Bureau of State Protection|BSP]] Director, [[Prib Dodd]], privately justified the decision by stating that "the people want order, they want fear back". BSP snipers were positioned on the roofs and upper floors of all the buildings around the square. As protesters began filling the square, pre-positioned army units under | On October 10th the National Strike Council called its biggest demonstration yet, calling on students to pack the central Republic Square in a show of strength. City authorities however blocked them with police barriers and slowly herded them towards the smaller Lushan Square. Unbeknownst to protesters, military units had been streaming into the capital since before Chen's speech on the 8th, with a decision to use force being reached possibly on the 6th. Unknown sources claimed that then [[Bureau of State Protection|BSP]] Director, [[Prib Dodd]], privately justified the decision by stating that "the people want order, they want fear back". BSP snipers were positioned on the roofs and upper floors of all the buildings around the square. As protesters began filling the square, pre-positioned army units under Colonel [[Bort Borg]] blocked all the three exits. At 9:00 pm the order was given to open fire on the students. | ||
==Remembrance== | ==Remembrance== | ||
[[Category:Corumm]] | [[Category:Corumm]] | ||