Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989

A series of demonstrations led by labor activists, students, and intellectuals in the People's Republic of China (PRC) between April 15 and June 4, 1989. While the protests lacked a unified cause or leadership, participants were generally against the authoritarianism and economic policies of the ruling Chinese Communist Party and voiced calls for democratic reform within the structure of the government. The demonstrations centered on Tiananmen Square in Beijing, but large-scale protests also occurred in cities throughout China, including Shanghai, which stayed peaceful throughout the protests. In Beijing, the resulting military crackdown on the protesters by the PRC government left many civilians dead or injured. The reported tolls ranged from 200--300 (PRC government figures), to 400--800 (The New York Times), and to 2,000--3,000 (Chinese student associations and Chinese Red Cross).

Category:

News & Politics

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• Tiananmen
• Square
• People's
• Republic
• of
• China
• Democracy
• Protest
• Tank
• 1989
• Communism
• Labor
• Unknown
• Rebel