Brave Students
Thousands of unarmed students in Hong Kong are currently standing up for democracy by taking to the streets. It’s often students who lead the way in peaceful protest movements:
- 1943: The White Rose group were university students in Munich who distibuted thousands of leaflets exposing the Nazis’ crimes and encouraging people to resist. They were executed.
- 1957: The Little Rock Nine were high school students in America who broke through the race barrier by enrolling in the local all-white high school despite threatening mobs.
- 1986-89: University students in China protested to demand more freedom, culminating in Tiananmen Square with half a million Chinese citizens. The government crushed the event.
- 1988: University students in Burma led massive street marches against the military rulers. The army killed hundreds but Burma eventually got free elections.
- 2000: Students in Serbia led a non-violent protest to help oust a corrupt government.
Tags: non-violence, Peace, people power, political change