jan 23, 1989 - Tiananmen Square

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Hu Yaobang, who had been sacked for supporting the 1986 protests, died of a heart attack. Students gathered in large numbers to express sadness about his death.

The fact that transport workers allowed students free transport to Beijing demonstrated that they had support from multiple working groups in the country.

Deng declared martial law in China, and the non-student populace of China joined in the protests, shouting, 'We want democracy! We want deng to go!'

Deng tried to clear the square of protestors, but the protestors resisted. In a night of violence, soldiers in tanks opened fire on them, killing thousands.

Events in Tiananmen Square demonstrated Deng's determination to destroy the opposition and end once and for all the calls for political reform. This was met by severe condemnation from other countries, causing the US to impose economic sanctions against China.

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