Occupy Wall Street Poster Adopts Imagery From Tiananmen Square (PHOTO)

A poster for Occupy Wall Street's (OWS) November 17 'Day of Action' seems to compare OWS to the historic 1989 protests at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, an analogy that could be considered controversial due to the large number of civilian casualties in the Chinese action.

Artist R. Black's Occupy Wall Street poster borrows the famous 'Tank Man' image of the 1989 non-violent protests, but does this analogy overlook the immense suffering of the Tiananmen Square protesters? The original photograph depicts a young man standing, unarmed and unmoving, in front of an line of tanks. The image has become an important symbol of resistance against tyranny, the Tiananmen Square protests having resulted in the deaths of 400-800 civilians, in addition to about 50 soldiers and policemen.

The comparison does come in the wake of violence at various Occupy protests around the country, including a veteran being shot in Oakland, a professor beaten at Berkeley, and a pregnant woman pepper sprayed in Seattle. In addition, Tiananmen Square protest leader Shen Tong has moved to Zuccotti Park to become the movement's "father figure."

Artist Shepard Fairey, who has designed at least two posters for the Occupy movement, "The Tiananmen Square act of defiance has become a symbol. No one owns that symbol... Symbols, even if they are heavy-handed, are a useful tool in communicating an idea and stirring emotion. Analogy is a crucial tool of communication, and whether someone thinks an analogy is "appropriate", is far less important than the dialogue the analogy initiates. Political art needs to provoke."

What do you think? Is the Occupy movement justified in borrowing the imagery of Tiananmen Square? Or does the poster downplay the deaths of the 1989 protests?

Quick Poll

Does this Occupy Wall Street poster go too far?

Yes: the police and military response to the Tiananmen Square protests was much harsher than the police actions against OWS.

No: OWS stands for many of the same principles that the Tiananmen Square protesters fought for.

Other: I'll explain in the comments.

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Comments

[see-ellen2001]

12:22 AM on 11/26/2011

If Americans think their government treats them as badly as the Chinese government then they are deluded. Just the fact the OWS camps have stood for so long proves my point. If this was done in China how many campers would the government arrest then kill, or just kill? I find the poster very offensive. Time to get a lot of heads out of the sand: fight the fight but don't denigrate people who have or are literally dying for a cause.

[Gonzo333]

08:30 AM on 11/25/2011

Not far enough.

[kinogod]

12:11 PM on 11/20/2011

Pepper spray and bily clubs are not he same as tanks, but they have the same effect: shut the
People and their freedom down.

[charlieb323]

08:15 AM on 11/20/2011

Propaganda - the same language that has been used to prop-up market capital and the US political system for the majority of the last 100 years.

[grumbles]

04:06 PM on 11/19/2011

appropriate, timely, i would say it is just about right..............

[lynterv]

01:17 PM on 11/19/2011

Freedom of the citizens to peacefully assemble is guaranteed in the First Amendment yet police departments have conveniently forgotten that fact. The poster is extremely appropriate in light of recet po0ice violence against protestors. Pepper spraying an 80+ year old woman? C'mon man.

[Sarah Cuse]

10:21 AM on 11/19/2011

Those are Greek communists standing in front of Greek tanks during the communist Greek revolt of 1973. The revolt was crushed by the tanks on November 17, 1973. Notice the date on the poster. The failed revolt spawned the formation of the murderous communist revolutionary group "N17"--popping up on Occupy websites and Occupy literature. (Why not call it "November 17" like the rest of Americans do?)

This American poster is not meant to communicate anything significant to Americans. It is meant to communicate a sense of solidarity with communists revolting in Greece under the pressure of austerity measures.

[IPredictARiot]

01:53 PM on 11/19/2011

And the bags the central man is carrying...it's just a coincidence that they make him look just like the unidentified man in Tiananmen Square. Get real - this is clearly evocative of the Chinese protestors.

Also, though they were aligned with both Anarchists and Communists, N17 was fighting an anti-democratic military junta in Greece.

[luckyone77]

11:18 PM on 11/19/2011

the fight for freedom, for human rights and economic justice is the same, all over the world. When the 1% have the majority of economic and political power, it does not matter if socialist, communist, fascist or a pseudo-democracy; it is the same struggle

[F Doyle Dreadnaught]

08:35 AM on 11/19/2011

While the stakes facing OWS protestors and those from 1989 may not be the same, the overriding sentiment is very similar.

Injustice has won the day for too long, power has entrenched itself to unimaginable proportions and in such a situation, the body itself becomes the greatest tool of resistance.

[jimstaro]

07:37 AM on 11/19/2011

I say No, as you can take any one of the many pictures, posters, reports, throughout history, and they show the plight of the masses at the hands of the want for complete and total power, control and wealth by the few anywhere on this planet! They cement the fact that people everywhere are no different nor is the long history of suppression! The power hungry even use these knowns in history as reasons in their propaganda of condemning others while practicing same! Like our use, here in the States, of the above in Tiananmen Square in condemnation of China's treatment of it's citizens, and those citizens wants, and human rights issues!

[madethecut]

05:07 AM on 11/19/2011

If you'd asked on November 16th I would have said maybe too far. Now ... not far enough. What a repulsive spectacle police depatments all over the country made of themselves. Un-American.

[Lyin n denyin]

03:11 AM on 11/19/2011

Does this Occupy Wall Street poster go too far?

Ya' think?

[Scruffyboo2]

03:00 AM on 11/19/2011

No, it doesn't go "too far". It's the same issue for the people and the same response from those in power. It's what happens when governments fail their people. If history holds, next come police killings, bodies in the streets, guerrilla warfare, insurrection and then the people win ... might takes some time but they always win in the end.

[Goliadkin]

02:35 AM on 11/19/2011

Gee, the movement is anonymous, but the artist didn't have any qualms about signing his/her work.

[StrawHat]

09:17 AM on 11/19/2011

No one ever said that the movement itself is anonymous.

Where did you get that idea?

[Jwindwalker]

11:13 PM on 11/18/2011

This poster is very negative. This movement is a positive celebration!

[caryberry]

11:09 PM on 11/18/2011

I want one! Where can I get one of these posters?

I hope OWS will consider printing and selling posters so those of us with bunions, bad backs, and old age maladies can support OWS.

[oneeasyrider]

02:42 AM on 11/21/2011

Vote progressive democrat. We need 70 Senate democrats just like FDR had for several terms for legitimate progressive legislation.