Tuesday, June 4 marked the 24-year commemoration of mass killings at Beijing's Tiananmen Square, where pro-democracy protestors gathered in 1989, rallying against an oppressive government.
In China, citizens were not allowed to make allusions to the massacre, let alone engage in any kind of public mourning for the hundreds of citizens slain.
All posts on social media even remotely relating to Tiananmen were immediately taken down.State-run newspapers tried not to make mention of June 4's meaning.
One such paper, called the Global Times, published a story on their front page Tuesday, which claimed that "Web regulation [is] in [the] public's best interest."
The word "today" was banned from Twitter-like site Weibo's search bar, in addition to the candle emoticon's removal, according to CEO of Innovation Works Kai-Fu Lee, who tweeted the notice Tuesday morning.
The word "TODAY" （今天）is blocked from searching on Sina Weibo, and the "candle" emoticon is also removed.
— Kai-Fu Lee (@kaifulee) June 3, 2013
Many Chinese citizens had difficulties circumventing the increased surveillance and censorship, but some managed to participate in a round of good old anarchy.
Here are five images that users of Weibo posted to slyly commemorate the events at Tiananmen Square.
1.
This is user majiuqi's alarm clock, set to 6:04, a nod to 6/4.
2.
Birthday candles bearing the numbers six and four.
3.
Rubber duckies posing as tanks, mimicking this famous historical photo taken at Tiananmen during the massacre.
4.
Mah Jong pieces set up to emulate the aforementioned photo. Creativity abounds!
5.
Sheet music and accompanying lyrics to "The March of the Volunteer Army," The People's Republic of China's national anthem.
See more at The Global Post.
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