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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 30, No. 3. 1967.

"Revisionists"

"Revisionists"

A beating of a single drum heralded a melancholy procession down the cobbled street towards us. As it drew nearer we could see several "revisionists" — people who had allegedly taken "the capitalist road"—standing with heads bowed on a truck jammed with Red Guards and other revolutionary groups. Large placards were hanging round the necks of these deviators from Marxism — or rather "Maoism."

It was the only time we saw anything in China that could be described as "violence"; however, this was enough to leave a sour taste in the mouth.

When we reached Peking the demonstrations against Russia were at their peak. A visit to the Soviet Embassy one evening proved to be well worth while. The gates of the Embassy were adorned with effigies of Breznyev and Kosygin, slogans and posters. A large crowd of all ages stood at the gates, with processions of students and others arriving in a continuous stream to offer their contributions to the proceedings. Many of them burnt effigies of the Russian leaders, and anti-Russian slogans led by a team of Red Guard "cheer leaders" were amplified by an enormous speaker aimed at the Embassy.