What is the symbolism of the Red Guard in the book, Forbidden City: A Novel?

The Red Guard symbolize the manifestation of the latent violence present under the Chairman's reign. Mei drives through Beijing in Chapter 23. She witnesses the Red Guard mercilessly beat professors and others who proclaim their innocence. She encounters similar violence in Chapter 26 in Tiananmen Square. The reader should focus on the Red Guard as symbols of the latent violence inherent in the Chairman's reign, wherein any action claimed to be in his name, even violence, is justifiable.