Chapter 6 2. The "December 9th" movement exploded

After the "September 18th" Incident in 1931, in order to oppose Japanese imperialism's occupation of Northeast China, students from Peking went south to petition or demonstrate one after another, arousing a great patriotic movement among students across the country.During this movement, the vast majority of universities and middle schools in Peiping established progressive and energetic student unions, which became the center leading the anti-Japanese and national salvation movement. In 1933, in order to suppress the student movement, the Kuomintang transferred the Third Military Police Regiment to Peiping.A large number of patriotic students and progressive youth were arrested and killed; almost all the student unions of the schools were destroyed.

Under the leadership of Comrade Peng Tao of the Beiping Temporary Working Committee of the Communist Party of China, on November 18, 1935, the Peking University and Middle School Student Union (referred to as the Peking Student Union) was secretly established.Under the mobilization of the Federation of Students, many universities and middle schools in Peking began to restore or organize student unions.I participated in the initiation and organization of Peking University Student Union. In order to comply with the requirements of Japanese imperialism, the Kuomintang prepared to organize the "self-government" organization of Jicha. In November 1935, the Nanjing government appointed He Yingqin as the head of the Representative Office of the Executive Yuan in North China. On December 3, He Yingqin arrived in Beiping and lived in Jurentang in Zhongnanhai.He met some traitors who demanded "North China's autonomy." He held secret talks with the Japanese side and decided to establish the "Jicha Political Affairs Committee" on December 9.This is an organization that controls the military and political power of the two provinces of Hebei and Chahar, and the cities of Pingjin and Tianjin.Song Zheyuan, commander of the 29th Army, served as the chairman of the committee, and some members were veteran pro-Japanese factions.When the news came out, the Beiping Temporary Working Committee of the Communist Party of China immediately decided that the Peking Student Union would mobilize students from major and middle schools to go to Zhongnanhai to petition He Yingqin on December 9th, opposing the establishment of the "Jicha Political Affairs Committee."If the petition fails, it will be changed to a demonstration.Students from various schools who were notified made preparations for the parade in the middle of the night on December 8.

In the early morning of December 9th, the north wind was fierce and the cold was threatening.Students from all schools braved the severe cold and dispatched.Students from Tsinghua University and Yenching University, about 30 miles northwest of Beiping City, broke through the obstruction of the military and police and arrived at Xizhimen of Beiping at 8 o'clock.But the gates of the city were closed and the iron gates were locked.Both the city and the city are filled with armed military police of the Kuomintang, armed with live ammunition, as if facing a formidable enemy.The students demanded to open the gates of the city.The military police said: No one can open the door without an order from the superior.The student team outside the city turned to Fucheng Gate and Xibian Gate, and the iron gates were locked.The students were filled with indignation and high morale. They distributed leaflets, gave speeches, and launched a great anti-Japanese and national salvation propaganda in the streets and alleys outside the city.They struggled from morning to night, without a drop of water, endured hunger and cold, and did not return to school on foot until dusk.

The students of Northeastern University in Xizhimen assembled in formation before dawn, preparing to go to Xizhimen to meet the student team outside the city and march together.When they learned that Xizhimen had been closed long ago, and the student team from outside the city could not enter the city, they became very angry and furious.They broke through the obstruction of the school authorities, held high the school flag, and set off alone.The students were shoulder to shoulder, arm in arm, and walked to the street with vigorous steps.Going south along Beigouyan (now Zhaodengyu Road), turning to the west of Xisi Pailou, it was intercepted by military police and fierce fighting started.The students broke through the siege of the military and police, joined the team of the School of Law and Business of Peking University, passed through Fuyou Street, and rushed to Xinhua Gate.

The gate of China University (now the seat of the National Education Commission) in Xicheng was surrounded by military police before dawn.The students jumped out of the wall and moved forward together, and along the way they rescued the students from the Girls' High School Attached to Normal University who were blocked in the school.Everyone marched together, passed through Xidan, and entered Xinhuamen. Xinhuamen is the south gate of Zhongnanhai, and He Yingqin lives in Jurentang in Zhongnanhai.Hearing that the students were coming to petition, the door was closed.In front of the gate, troops with bayonets and machine guns were lined up. They were heavily guarded and murderous.

More and more students gathered in front of Xinhuamen from all directions.Students from Northeastern University, Normal University, China University, Republic of China College, Law and Business School of Peking University, Girls' High School Attached to Normal University, Municipal No. 1 Girls' Middle School, Northeast Zhongshan Middle School, and Yiwen Middle School all arrived one after another.By 10 o'clock in the morning, there were about two thousand students gathered in front of Xinhua Gate.Seeing the menacing Kuomintang armed forces outside the Xinhua Gate, the students were even more angry. They waved flags and shouted:

"Down with Japanese imperialism!" "Down with traitors and traitors!" "Oppose the establishment of the Hebei-Chahar Political Affairs Committee!" "Against North China's autonomy!" "Recover the lost land in the Northeast!" "Defend North China with arms!" The students held a meeting in front of the Xinhua Gate to discuss and approve six petition requests: (1) Oppose the establishment of the North China Anti-Communist Autonomous Committee and other similar organizations; (2) Oppose all secret diplomacy between China and Japan, and immediately announce foreign policy;

(3) Guaranteeing people's freedom of assembly, association, speech, and publication; (4) Stop the civil war and unite with the outside world; (5) not to arrest people arbitrarily; (6) Immediately release the arrested students. The conference appointed 12 people as representatives to go to Jurentang to appeal to He Yingqin, but the Xinhua Gate was closed and student representatives could not enter.The fighting spirit of the students is getting more and more passionate.He persisted until noon, when He Yingqin's secretary, Hou Cheng, was forced to come out to meet him.The delegates strongly urged He Yingqin to come out to meet the students, read out the six demands of the petition, and demanded that Hou Cheng order the military and police to open Xizhimen, so that students from outside the city could enter the city and participate in the petition parade.Hou Cheng tremblingly replied: Representative He is not in the city (he heard that the students were going to parade and went to Xiaotangshan to take a bath), brothers can convey your requests on your behalf.Regarding the issue of ordering the opening of Xizhimen, he prevaricated that it was not within his "power" and refused.He also said that, as far as he knows, "there is no secret diplomacy or any secret agreement" and "China is now not involved in a civil war other than the suppression of the Communist Party."He asked the students to "understand the government's difficulties" and "study hard to save the country". Hou Cheng's answer aroused the anger of the students!

The petition failed, and the school representatives immediately made a decision to change the petition into a demonstration.The planned parade plan was that the team would start from Xinhuamen, go to Xizhimen via Xidan, Xisi, and Xinjiekou, welcome the student team from outside the city into the city, march together, and hold a student meeting at Tiananmen Square.And it was decided that Song Li, a student from Northeastern University, would serve as the general commander of the parade.When he announced: Demonstrations begin!Everyone is in high spirits and fighting spirit; four people in a row, arm in arm, striding forward!The sound of slogans and singing echoed one after another, and the sound shook the sky and the mountains and rivers were magnificent.

The demonstration procession marched westward along West Chang'an Avenue. When they arrived near the Xidan archway, armed KMT military police suddenly surrounded them, wielding wooden sticks, leather whips, and gun handles, and beat the students face to face.The students shouted: "The Chinese don't fight the Chinese, and the guns are the same!" After a heroic struggle, the students rushed over.The parade turned to Xidan North Street and marched northward, broke through the blockade of the military and police at Xisi Pailou, and continued to march northward.The traffic officer sent a message saying: Armed military police and gendarmes were all around Xizhimen, with machine guns set up, and they wanted to disperse the students who were going by force.It is impossible to open Xizhimen.So the general headquarters decided to change the route to the east and go to the beach, Wangfujing...In order to spread the influence of the masses.When the procession passed Dingfu Street, more than 100 students from Fu Jen Catholic University joined in.When the brigade passed through Di'anmen, there were students from Hebei High School, Kongde Middle School, Sino-French University, and Jingye Middle School.Peking University was not notified of the parade in advance. When the parade arrived at the beach (now Wusi Street), our students from Peking University immediately rang the bell and gathered in front of the Red Building from classrooms, laboratories, and libraries, holding temporary Banners of "Peking University" hurriedly made by sheets joined the parade.When they arrived at Wangfujing Street, there were more than 3,000 people in the team.

Wangfujing Street is separated from the Japanese Embassy in Dongjiaomin Lane.The reactionary authorities thought that the student contingent was going to Dongjiaominxiang to attack the Japanese embassy; so they mobilized a large number of armed military police and fire trucks, and arranged a blockade at the south entrance of Wangfujing Street.The student representatives went to negotiate. The leader of the military police held a pistol and said: "No passage is allowed. Anyone who dares to charge forward will be shot." The students continued to move forward.The military and police used high-pressure water hoses to shoot at the students.Count nine cold days, dripping water turns into ice.The water rushed over the students and immediately froze into ice.The ice slag on the ground rattled, but the students still rushed forward with high spirits to snatch the water dragon.Armed military police brandished whips, sticks, knives, and gun handles to beat and chop students.The students put up a heroic resistance.Some students were arrested by the military and police; the students rushed to snatch them back.Some students were injured, and their blood flowed onto the road, freezing into crystal blood in an instant.But they still shouted: "Down with Japanese imperialism! Down with traitors and traitors?" The students fought with the military and police for more than half an hour, and the parade was broken up; some students were arrested and more than 30 students were injured. It was nearly dusk, and the students had fought for a day without a drop of water.In order to preserve strength and prepare for another battle, the headquarters ordered, "Students, gather at the Third Hospital of Peking University?" The decision of the Peking City Student Federation was conveyed: starting from December 10, a general strike in the city will be implemented, and a larger-scale demonstration will be made to make persistent efforts. The students applaud enthusiastically and shout anti-Japanese slogans, and then return to school separately. Historically, this movement was called the "December 9th" Anti-Japanese National Salvation Movement.