Tanks, machine guns, soldiers, bicycles lying in the street, blood spattered banners, white masks--shreds of last year's student and people's demonstrations in every Chinese city reappeared again in China town, outside the Chinese "embassy", in Covent Garden, Oxford and Edinburgh. Wherever there are Chinese people in the world the performance goes on.

As a suddenly overcast June 3 followed on an unusually warm May, more than 2,000 people gathered in London's Chinatown and followed a replica of the Goddess of Democracy in a solemn procession to the Chinese "embassy".

Heading the procession was one of the student leaders from Tienanmen Square. With a black arm-band and carrying a petition of five thousand signatures, the diminutive exile knocked on the front door amid rhythmic chants of "Open the door!" There was no answer.

On the pavement opposite there sat an angry Teng Hsiao-p'ing puffing away on a cregarette. Behind him hung a huge banner, from which arms were thrust through holes as they writhed to eerie music and withdrew from the butt of a PLA soldier's gun. A man who was slumped over a table slowly raised his head, his face with neither makeup nor mask--this was one of the common Chinese people.

He could not see what was going on behind his back, or rather he did not want to look. Not demanding anything, he merely tried to eat a bowl of rice, but his hand was trembling and he could only choke on the rice as it spilled out of his mouth and coated the table. He was too afraid.

Determined on eating, he finally put down is chopsticks and shouted out, as if reading an announcement: "I told you at the beginning not to do this. Democracy! Democracy! What do we understand about democracy? Li P'eng said he would meet you; why did you still refuse to eat? Now we can't do business. Chinese people fear chaos more than anything! We would rather be obsequious than have chaos. If you have rice, then you should eat. Take the food while you can!"

The white-faced Teng nodded his head and puffed contentedly on his cigarette. The gun continued to beat back the arms. The speaker at last ate his bowl of rice. Then a girl began to read out the International Declaration of Human Rights as the music faded out.

After the audience had gradually dispersed and the evening descended, more people were attracted to the same place by the lighting of candles opposite the "embassy", where an obelisk has been erected to commemorate those who died last year. The dramatic ritual created a mysterious and solemn atmosphere which strongly attracted passers-by and stimulated feedback. A crowd of young people in the flickering candlelight sang to the tune of We Shall Overcome:

China will be free,
           China will be free,
           China will be free someday,
           So deep in my heart
           I do believe,
           China will be free someday.

They carried on like this until dawn, when the sound of the guns of the massacre was exactly one year away.

Exactly one year and the original members of the democracy movement are tired, the media is getting lax, the magazines have run out of money, the life of the Li P'ing regime is getting longer. Why is it so hard for the Chinese to eat a bowl of rice?

[Picture Caption]

Li Lu, one of the student leaders at Tienanmen Square, presented a memorial wreath to the Chinese Communist "embassy" in London during the demonstrations there, but the wreath was immediately thrown away. (photo courtesy of Eight Thousand Miles magazine)

"A bowl of rice to eat" is the most elemental demand of the Chinese people. (photo by Eric Lee)

The chairman of the British chapter of the Federation for a Democratic China, Wang Ssu-yuan, delivered a protest speech in front of the Chinese Communists' "embassy."

The Royal Society of Architects, whose offices face the Chinese Communists' "embassy," have agreed to let this Monument to the Martyrs for Democracy stand here as a lasting memorial. (photo) by Eric Lee)

Pro-democracy supporters staged a daylong sit-in in front of the Chinese Communists' "embassy" in London to mark the first anniversary of the June 4 massacre. (photo by Eric Lee)

"A bowl of rice to eat" is the most elemental demand of the Chinese people. （photo by Eric Lee）

The chairman of the British chapter of the Federation for a Democratic China, Wang Ssu-yuan, delivered a protest speech in front of the Chinese Communists' "embassy.".

The Royal Society of Architects, whose offices face the Chinese Communists' "embassy," have agreed to let this Monument to the Martyrs for Democracy stand here as a lasting memorial. （photo） by Eric Lee）

Pro-democracy supporters staged a daylong sit-in in front of the Chinese Communists' "embassy" in London to mark the first anniversary of the June 4 massacre. （photo by Eric Lee）