Born: 1960 (Chongqing, China)
Biography:
Lü Jinghua (Chinese: 吕京花; pinyin: Lǚ Jīnghuā; born 1960) is a Chinese dissident and activist, and was a key member of the Beijing Workers’ Autonomous Federation (BWAF) during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. The BWAF was the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) first independent trade union, established as an alternative to the Party-controlled All-China Federation of Trade Unions, and Lü served as the union’s broadcaster.
Lü was born in Chongqing to Party loyalist parents. Her father had become a Party member before the establishment of the PRC in 1949, and her mother was a neighborhood activist during the Cultural Revolution. Growing up, Lü attended Yucai Middle School, where most of her classmates were the sons and daughters of People’s Liberation Army officers. After a year at art school, Lü held various jobs, including working in a trading company in Guangzhou, on a chicken farm near Beijing, and as a manager of a privately owned dress shop.
During the Tiananmen Square protests, Lü rode past Tiananmen on her bicycle every day on her way to the dress shop. She would often stop to watch the protestors march past or to listen to student speeches. Initially, Lü wasn’t deeply interested in politics, but when the student-led hunger strike began on May 13, she started offering material support to the protestors by bringing them food. In exchange, the students shared their demands, stories of Party corruption, and their aspiration for democracy.
Inspired by the students’ dedication, Lü decided to march alongside them. She offered her services to the recently founded Beijing Workers Autonomous Federation on May 26, collecting funds and aid from her acquaintances at the dress shop. Lü was one of the few women who joined the BWAF. As the students refused workers access to the central loudspeakers in the square, a broadcast station was established in the BWAF headquarters near the western reviewing stand outside of Tiananmen. Lü’s commanding voice made her the voice for the union’s public address, and her broadcasts became a crucial element of the BWAF’s presence on the square, airing continuously from morning into the evening.
However, on June 4, 1989, the peaceful protests took a tragic turn when the Chinese government launched a violent crackdown on the demonstrators in Tiananmen Square. Lü was caught up in the chaos and became one of the thousands of protestors who were arrested or sought by the authorities. She found herself on China’s most wanted list and realized she had no choice but to flee the country for her safety.
Lü made her way to the United States, where she continued her activism and became a prominent figure in speaking out against the human rights abuses occurring in China. Her experiences during the Tiananmen Square protests shaped her commitment to fighting for democracy and freedom in her home country. She became an influential voice in shedding light on the Chinese government’s suppression of dissent and advocating for change.
Lü Jinghua’s dedication and bravery in the face of adversity have made her a symbol of resistance and a champion for human rights. Her role in the Beijing Workers’ Autonomous Federation and her broadcasts during the Tiananmen Square protests have left an indelible mark on history, highlighting the power of ordinary citizens in advocating for social and political change.