Rise of the red guard
Whether ravaging the streets, or someone's home, the red guards were sworn to carry out the will of their dear leader, Chairman Mao, even it meant causing harm to another human. They were set out destroy everything that fell into the category of the "four-olds" Old-Habits, Old-Ideas, Old-Cultures, and Old Customs.
"When he sensed that revolutionary fervor in China was waning, Mao proclaimed the Cultural Revolution. Gangs of Red Guards -- young men and women between 14 and 21 -- roamed the cities targeting revisionists and other enemies of the state, especially teachers. Professors were dressed in grotesque clothes and dunce caps, their faces smeared with ink. They were then forced to get down on all fours and bark like dogs. Some were beaten to death, some even eaten -- all for the promulgation of Maoism."
heritage.org
"Then, following the example of the students in Beijing, we formed an 'Organization of Red Guards'. Everybody wanted to join the Red Guards because nobody wanted to be 'unqualified', 'backward' and 'non-revolutionary'. I was one of the first to join because, being from a poor peasant's family, my background was supposed to be 'clear'. We all enjoyed having no classes and degrading the teachers. 'The teacher takes the student as the enemy and uses examinations as weapons to attack the student' - the fact that it was Chairman Mao who had said this meant a great deal." newint.org
heritage.org
"Then, following the example of the students in Beijing, we formed an 'Organization of Red Guards'. Everybody wanted to join the Red Guards because nobody wanted to be 'unqualified', 'backward' and 'non-revolutionary'. I was one of the first to join because, being from a poor peasant's family, my background was supposed to be 'clear'. We all enjoyed having no classes and degrading the teachers. 'The teacher takes the student as the enemy and uses examinations as weapons to attack the student' - the fact that it was Chairman Mao who had said this meant a great deal." newint.org
"In 1966, a group of middle school students in Beijing named themselves 'Chairman Mao's Red Guards.' Mao's support for them led to the name "Red Guard" being adopted by groups who were sanctioned by Mao and his supporters to 'rebel against the system' all over China. Sworn to protect Chairman Mao and his revolutionary line, the Red Guards and other, older revolutionary rebels caused havoc and eventually turned on each other, resulting in great destruction and considerable loss of life.
Once the Red Guards had served their purpose of overturning the old order, these restive young people were exiled from the cities to be re-educated by the peasants in the countryside. Many did not return to the cities until the late 1970s; some never did. " Morning sun.org
Once the Red Guards had served their purpose of overturning the old order, these restive young people were exiled from the cities to be re-educated by the peasants in the countryside. Many did not return to the cities until the late 1970s; some never did. " Morning sun.org
As young middle school and university students in Beijing began to rebel in 1966, they looked to the traditions of the 1949 Revolution, and particularly to the army, for inspiration. One group of Beijing student rebels decided to call themselves ‘Red Guards’, hong weibing, and they saw themselves as soldiers (bing) who were fighting to protect (wei) the Revolution and Mao thought (represented by the word ‘red’ or hong). morningsun.org