Anne McLaren
University of Melbourne
In November 1978 the city centre of Shanghai was the scene of a vigorous wall poster campaign calling for redress of grievances that were the legacy of decades of political misrule. The government line blamed the disastrous Cultural Revolution on the Gang of Four, a group that excluded the former paramount leader, Mao Zedong. However, Shanghai activists for democracy asked probing questions about the role of Mao Zedong and about Marxist ideology, calling for political reform and constitutional rights. The movement continued into 1979, culminating in the occupation of Shanghai railway station. At the time of China’s border war with Vietnam, the protest movement was repressed and activists arrested. This paper will discuss the stated aims of the various individuals and associations taking part in the protest. The author was a student at Fudan University at that time and a close observer of the Shanghai scene.
Biorgraphy:
Anne McLaren (Panel Chair) has published widely on Chinese literature and on gender issues in Chinese oral and ritual traditions. Her published works include Performing Grief: Bridal Laments in Rural China and Chinese Popular Culture and Ming Chantefables. She is Professor of Chinese Studies at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne.