Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 were a series of student-led demonstrations that took place primarily in Beijing, China. The protests, which were triggered by the death of the popular liberal reformer Hu Yaobang, began in April 1989. The protesters called for political and economic reform. At the height of the protests, around a million people assembled in Tiananmen Square, a large public area near Beijing’s historic Forbidden City. The protests revealed deep factions within China’s leadership. In the end, the conservative faction won the support of paramount leader Deng Xiaoping. The protests ended in a violent military crackdown in June, which is sometimes known as the June 4 Incident. The protests and the military response were widely televised. Many people throughout the world expressed support and sympathy for the protestors.
The death of Hu Yaobang.
On April 15, 1989, former Chinese Communist Party head Hu Yaobang died. He was known for his commitment to political and economic reform and was supportive of more freedom of expression. However, Hu had been removed from office in 1987 by government officials who thought his views were too liberal. However, those very views made Hu popular with many Chinese citizens, particularly students, who wanted more freedom.
After a decade of liberalization and growth, China not only experienced new prosperity, but it also witnessed the spread of inflation and corruption among government officials. The announcement of Hu’s death coincided with growing popular dissatisfaction and led to a spontaneous outpouring of grief by Beijing’s citizens. On April 16, people began gathering in Tiananmen Square to honor Hu’s memory.
The protests begin.
The gathering to honor Hu quickly became a major protest led by students from Beijing universities. The protesters called for greater freedoms of speech and the press; increased funding for higher education; government openness; and an end to government corruption. A student-led hunger strike gained support from around the country and the world. Students and supporters from all over China traveled to Beijing to take part in the protests. Similar, smaller gatherings occurred in other Chinese cities.
At first, the government, led by Communist Party General Secretary Zhao Ziyang, adopted a moderate stance. However, as the protests continued, more conservative members of the ruling Chinese Communist Party believed they threatened the party’s legitimacy. Government officials, including Premier Li Peng, called for the use of force.
By the end of May, Li Peng had won the support of Deng Xiaoping. On May 20, Li declared martial law and told the protesters to leave Tiananmen Square. Martial law is an emergency government under military rule. Army and police troops headed toward Tiananmen Square, but Beijing residents built blockades in the streets to slow the advance. The blockades kept the troops and vehicles from the square for two weeks.
Crackdown.
On June 3, the government said that protesters would be forced from the square if they did not leave on their own. That night, soldiers and tanks began firing. Many unarmed protesters were shot while trying to flee. A number of protesters attacked the troops with rocks and bottles. Some demonstrators set fire to military vehicles. Loading the player...
Tiananmen Square protest
On June 4, as violence continued, government troops sealed off Tiananmen Square. In the days that followed, the government shut down protests in other cities and searched for the students who had led the demonstrations. Many of the student leaders fled the country.
Aftermath.
Chinese officials stated that some 200 people had died in the incident. However, international observers believed that more than 1,000 people might have been killed. In addition, several thousand protesters were arrested, and many others were wounded.
People around the world expressed shock at the Chinese government’s actions. Diplomatic and economic relations between China and a number of other countries became strained. In the wake of the protests, the Chinese government imposed additional restrictions on speech and democracy. General Secretary Zhao Ziyang was dismissed from his post for showing support for the protesters. Chinese government censors have banned news programs and other media presentations that discuss the incident.
