Posted on 03/28/2006 6:38:40 PM PST by HAL9000
French protests 'Tiananmen'
Washington - United States television networks on Tuesday carried widespread coverage of demonstrations in France against a controversial new youth labour law, with CNN comparing the unrest to the Tiananmen Square uprising.
Several news networks, including CNN and Fox News, cut away from a live broadcast of a news conference with US secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld to show images of French riot police using water cannons to disperse demonstrators in Paris.
CNN anchor Kyra Phillips said that images of protesters defiantly standing in front of the water cannons brought back memories of pro-democracy activists who stood in front of tanks during the 1989 pro-democracy rallies in Tiananmen Square.
"We're going to continue to follow the Pentagon briefing, but we just can't ignore these live pictures coming out of France right now," Phillips told viewers.
"Sort of brings back memories of Tiananmen Square, when you saw these activists in front of tanks."
She added that the demonstrations could be the biggest protests "in modern French history".
News channels commented on the "incredible restraint" shown by French riot police during the demonstrations, given the force's ruthless reputation.
Oh, brother.
Those leftist morons should be glad it's just a water cannon.
Except the commies are protesting the socialists this time.
I thought it was more like an NFL city celebrating after winning the Super Bowl. A bunch of idiots breathing good air, having nothing constructive to offer humanity, and nothing else to do.
Exactly! If I remember correctly the news cameras were expelled from Tianammen Square so the Chi Coms could use their tanks to turn their citizens that were protesting into ground beef.
I doubt they were asserting any moral equivalence between the two protests. Rather that the number of people, the simmering resentment, the anger is similar.
You MUST be kidding me!
The Chinese Red Cross estimated 2600 dead in Tiananmen Square. CNN finds this comparable to a bunch of brats worried about the possibility of being fired for non-performance on their first jobs. The comparison is obscene.
ROFLOL! That's right, nobody's demanding civil rights in these protests ... they are demanding bigger government, more nanny state.
I am too incompetent and my IQ is too low for me to take care of myself. To prove it I will protest for more government.
No way!
Remember Carol Lin in a maximum PC effort to avoid calling the rioting French youths Muslims, called them "African Americans" instead.
I seem to recall the Chinese government forcing CNN to shut down their live coverage. Does Kyra Phillips remember that?
Imbeciles.
Police using water cannons does not equal Red Guards with tanks and machine guns.
Students protesting an unpopular law and a moribund Prime Ministry does not equate to students facing the Communist Party of China.
How did these reporters obtain their journalism degrees?
Truly one of the most imbecilic analogies of our time.
"How did these reporters obtain their journalism degrees?"
for many of them, on their knees or with their legs in the air.
That if you don't produce, you can lose your job?
That water is wet?
So, the CNN infobabe equates spoiled frog cowards demanding money for not working, to victims of Communism risking their lives to live in freedom? Only in CNN's bizzarro world, I guess....
The Tiananmen protestors were correctly protesting the fact that they were living in a country with no democracy. Many were killed by the Chinese Army. They're still living in a country with no democracy. The French are protesting a law that allows employers to fire them.
These TV "reporters" have no sense of history.
When I see a tank run over a frog on Fox tomorrow morning I will believe this.
I think you are correct. I think AFP was stretching to make a story out of the reasonable, but superficial musings, of anchors who had lots of pictures that needed some casual commentary. This is a non-story (which is to criticize AFP, not the posting of it here, which was interesting).
The absolute stupidity of those in our media is breathtaking.
"What exactly are these deux-mille sixardes protesting?"
They are protesting that the government has changed the terms of the social contract in a way which is disfavorable to them.
Planting tulips...
Anyway, a solution is in sight.
The Conseil Constitutionnel (France's constitutional court) may well require the return of the law to Parliament for changes, which will allow it to be temporarily withdrawn, giving Villepin a face-saving way out of the crisis.
Of course, Villepin could simply ignore the ruling of the CC, or Chirac could direct him to ignore it, and insist on the law. That would exacerbate the situation and set them up for a dramatic climb-down.
Well, water, to the average Frenchman, COULD be considered lethal!
.......
This is vomitous, they should be ashamed.
Well, I can only say get some popcorn and wait for the fun
Oh, yeah, real cannon in China vs Water cannon in France. Yes indeed a great analogy!/sar. These people are not to be believed. The lazy french students who never want to be fired from their jobs no matter how poorly they do them compared to oppressed Chinese students trying to win a little freedom to speak their minds and being killed for it. Liberals are indeed mentally ill.
Good ol' CNN. You can always count on them to get it totally, insultingly wrong.
We need one of those "caption this photo" threads that other people start.
What is this CNN of which you speak?
Oh God, yes.....especially coming on the heels of their ruthless clamp down on the Muslims burning everything in sight a few months ago.
It's amazing the French riot police didn't break out the semi-auto feathers and go tiddlywinks on some protester ass.
CNN was one of the few media organization that was in Beijing at the time of the 1989 Tiananmen protests. It certainly has more perspective to make the comparison than any of the other MSM.
It is a false comparison no matter what their antecedents. Yes, or no?
A cruel irony has set upon upon France, and here too.
Chinese police during Tiananmen didn't have rubber bullets and riot preparation. The Chinese government waited out from early Feb until June 4 before finally calling in the troops. During that time the protests grew bigger and bigger, and even lowlife scums joined in the protests. Petty (mugging, theft) and violent (rape, assault) crime started occurring within the protests as it dragged on.
The Chinese government was stupid, and it panicked. It absolutely did the wrong thing. However, today these riots in China are countered with exactly the same tactics the French are using: water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas. So had water cannons and rubber bullets been available in 1989, it's likely that they would've been used instead of live rounds and military force. The Tiananmen massacre hurt the Chinese government a lot in terms of popular support. It was completely avoidable.
Sometimes a Yes or No answer is unnecessary. The comparison of Tiananmen with the French protests certainly has some similarities. Of course the differences are starking also. Yet it's not a far stretch to imagine the French doing something horrifying either if the protests lasted for several months and were dozens of millions strong scattered across the country.
If the French protests were to go on uncontrolled for 4 months. It would be nearly impossible for an unarmed civilian police to subdue it. The only people who are armed in China are the military, not the civilian police force.
The Tiananmen protests started out being a Leftist demonstration (better healthcare, lower education tuition, etc) that eventually morphed itself into a pro-Democracy democracy.
In other words, comparisons of the French protests with the Tiananmen protests (at least in the early months) have a certain degree of merit. Of course the French protests will be quelled before it gets big and political, nipped in the bud.
BTW, I was in Tiananmen in 1989. I'm not talking out of my arse.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.