Cloudy in Beijing Blogging about my time in China

Parade

Security has been tight across Beijing due to the national parade that set for tomorrow.

Recently I was walking around Tiananmen Square and police were standing at each of the street corners. At one such corner sat an armored personnel carrier, the words special police emblazoned on its black surface.

I, along with almost everyone passing by, stopped to take photos of the sight. The officer pictured above seemed to pose for us, flashing his bayonet on his assault rifle.

The government wants things to run perfectly for the coming parade, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the People Republic of China. Plans are in place to manipulate the weather so the skies will be clear, and even pigeons have been prohibited from flying in the capital tomorrow.

Unfortunately this also means that normal people like me cannot attend the event. Due to fears of terrorism, the entire center of the city has been locked down. Citizens living in the neighborhoods where the parade will be held have also been evacuated out. Unless one has been invited to the event, watching the TV will be the only way to enjoy the spectacle.

Not exactly the happy go lucky celebration I expected. As one of my classmates said of the parade today, "Let's celebrate our 60th anniversary by declaring martial law."

The security situation has even spilled over to my university campus. Now when I enter through one of the school gates I usually have to stop and pull out my student ID.

Internet access also hasn't been the same in the last week. I can no longer access my blog at all in spite of the proxy sites I use, and instead have to email my dad the updates. I plan to change this site's domain name soon.

So I guess I won't be able to attend tomorrow's parade. But really, now I just want it to be done and over with. Hopefully it'll also mean the end for all this security.