GODDESS OF DEMOCRACY, CHINA


Students and the people of China protested around a 10 Meter heigh, replica of America's Statute of Liberty called the Goddess of Democracy. It was installed in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China on 30 May 1989. 

Built by students from Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Arts for the protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989, the statue was constructed with foam and paper pulp over a steel frame. Installed in the square on 30 May1989, the figure became a powerful symbol for the Democracy movement occupying the square. Although comparisons were often drawn to New York's Statue of Liberty, the sculptors said that the work of Soviet sculptor Vera Mukhina was the actual inspiration. On 2 June 1989, 10,000 Chinese soldiers were blocked by one lakh citizens in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, protecting students demonstrating for democracy. The Statue was toppled forcibly by tanks on 4 June 1989 as ordered by the Chinese government to clear Tiananmen Square. Its destruction was captured by cameras and watched worldwide. The statue was called one of the world's first viral images. Many replicas were built around the world since, including in Hong Kong, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 2019.
 

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