jun 4, 1989 - Tiananmen Square Massacre + Protests

Description:

Throughout the 1980s, the Communist party in China was making large scale reforms (BBC News). This caused many pro-democracy citizens to protest, demanding more freedom and political power. In spring of 1989, thousands gathered in Tiananmen Square and made camps there. The government was initially conflicted on how to handle this, but on June 4th, they sent in military troops to crush and arrest protestors. This is now known as the Tiananmen massacre. The Chinese government reported around 200 deaths, but other estimates go up to 10,000. Citizens of Hong Kong, still ruled by the UK at this time, were enraged by Beijing’s actions (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica). They organized marches, signed petitions against Beijing, and began an annual vigil that lasted even after Hong Kong returned to China.