They have armies / we have paper
The "Democracy Wall Movement," a short-lived political opening in China, began in November 1978, two months after Mao’s death. During this "Beijing Spring" thousands of people papered designated walls with "big character posters" to protest political and social issues. Acquiesced to by Beijing, the effort—which also allowed unofficial journals, petitions, and demonstrations—spread to other major cities.
The movement reportedly ended in December 1979, but I took this shot in 1982, so I don’t know if it was part of a Democracy Wall or what the posters say. Any help out there?
During the war in El Salvador, protest postering was anything but sanctioned and could have landed the paperers in prison or worse. These women were part of the civilian movement to win democracy and human rights and bring down the US-backed dictatorship. Their efforts, along with those of the guerrilla army, faltered in 1989 when the regime defeated the rebels.
The repercussions—including plagues of gang and drug activities—continue in that troubled country today and blow back on the US. See an excellent Guardian article for more on this legacy of violence.
You are opening up a new world to me! Thank you!