June 4 - speaking out

Thirty five years ago, on this day, I walked in to the editing room of a major Swedish newspaper to begin my shift as proofreader. To add on to my salary as a doctoral student, I worked evenings, and this evening was going to be one of the most memorable in this position.

I sat down, put on my head phones, checked the tape recorder, made sure that the phone on my desk was working, and signed in to the terminal that connected me directly to the editors, and to the printing room downstairs. Most of the time, as proof readers we had final say on an article before it was sent to print; tight deadlines were part of the job. There was only one other colleague on the floor that night, so I knew it would be a long one.

My fellow graduate students and I had been following the uprising by students in China during the last few weeks. We connected with their fight; but we didn’t expect the protests would become so visceral, and so ominous.

The phone rang and I picked up. The line was crackling and I faintly made out the voice of our correspondent in Beijing.

Usually, we would listen to the journalists as the read their written words, listen to them on our headphones, and once that was done, confirm that we had the article, and move on to transcribing it.

That night required a different response.

“Stay on and write as I speak, in real time. It’s happening now, it has to make the morning news.”

His instruction meant that I would write while he was speaking and send it along as soon as possible. It was already 11pm and deadline was usually around 11:30pm. I would barely have time to proofread my own writing so I had to make sure I got it right, right away.

He started reading his script; simultaneously, I started writing. His voice echoed in my ears and the distance melted away as he put into words what he had seen.

He kept on reading and I kept on writing.

We both knew that at the same time as we he was speaking and I was writing his story, scenes of bravery continued to be played out on Tiananmen Square in Beijing and history was in the making.

So many years later, I vividly remember that night. My job was a simple one; I was far removed from the reactions to calls for freedom, justice and liberty.

My share in these events was miniscule, but the next morning, around the world and in this small, southern part of Sweden too, people would learn about the students who gave their lives for the right to speak their truth.

June 4 will not be forgotten, despite current reported efforts to make it so.

The right to speak out is forever a human right.

Photo: Jack Widener