Tiananmen: June 4, 1989
30th Anniversary of Tiananmen Massacre
Student protest in Tiananmen Square, China
Thirty years ago, Chinese students, workers, and intellectuals gathered in Tiananmen Square in Beijing to demand democracy and reform.
The protests were sparked by the death of Hu Yaobang, a former Communist Party leader who was seen as a reformer.
The government initially tolerated the protests, but as they grew in size and intensity, officials began to crack down.
On June 4, 1989, the government sent troops and tanks into the square to quell the protests.
The crackdown resulted in the deaths of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people.
The Tiananmen Massacre was a watershed moment in Chinese history.
It marked the end of the hopes for democracy and reform that had emerged in the 1980s.
It also led to a crackdown on dissent and a tightening of political control in China.
The Tiananmen Massacre remains a taboo subject in China today.
The government has never fully acknowledged the events of that day, and it continues to suppress any discussion of them.
However, the memory of Tiananmen lives on, both in China and abroad.
It is a reminder of the struggle for democracy and human rights in China.
And it is a warning of the dangers of authoritarianism.
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