The students thought they were emulating the May 4 leaders, forgetting that those students returned to school and worked for more gradual social change after successfully drawing attention to China's political and social problems. To some Communist Party members, however, the 1989 mass student demonstrations may have chillingly recalled the chaos and terror of the Cultural Revolution.
The students mistakenly attempted to replicate the actions of May 4 leaders, who later pursued more gradual social change after highlighting China's problems. Conversely, some Communist Party members may have viewed the 1989 student demonstrations as eerily reminiscent of the Cultural Revolution's chaos and terror.