1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre

1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre

Protests by students and workers took place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, from April 15 to June 4, 1989. These protests began after the death of a former leader, Hu Yaobang. People were worried about problems such as rising prices, corruption, and limits on political freedom. They asked for changes like more democracy, freedom of speech, and better rights for workers.

As the protests grew, the Chinese government tried to stop them. They declared martial law and sent troops to the square. On the night of June 3, troops moved in, which led to serious violence. Many people were killed or hurt. A famous picture from that time shows a person standing in front of tanks.

After these events, some countries stopped selling weapons to China. The government also made it hard to discuss what happened, and some changes in the country slowed down. Even today, these events are very sensitive in China and are not talked about much.

Naming

The Chinese government has used many names for the events from 1989. At first, they called it a "counter revolutionary rebellion", then later just "riot", and then "political turmoil" and "1989 storm". Today, the government refers to it as the "political turmoil between the spring and summer of 1989".

In China, these events are known as the "June Fourth Incident". Outside of China, some people call it the "June Fourth Massacre" or "June Fourth Crackdown". To talk about these events online without being blocked, some people use creative names like May 35th, VIIV (using Roman numerals for the numbers 6 and 4), Eight Squared (since 8²=64), and 8964.

In English, people often use the terms "Tiananmen Square Massacre", "Tiananmen Square Protests", and "Tiananmen Square Crackdown" to describe what happened. However, much of the events took place not in Tiananmen Square itself, but along a few miles of Chang'an Avenue, especially near the Muxidi area. These names might make it seem like the protests were only in Beijing, but they actually happened in many cities across China.

Background

Boluan Fanzheng and economic reforms

Main articles: Boluan Fanzheng and reform and opening up

After the Cultural Revolution ended in 1976, China started to change. Deng Xiaoping wanted to fix problems from the past. He made changes to help China's economy grow and brought new leaders into important jobs. Some workers worried because jobs were no longer guaranteed for life.

Challenges to Reforms and Opening up

Deng Xiaoping wanted to change China's economy. He allowed some farms and businesses to act more like private companies. But these changes caused problems. Some leaders became very rich by using their power unfairly. Prices changed a lot, making people afraid they could not afford basic things. Many jobs that used to be safe were now at risk, making people worry about losing their benefits.

Social disenfranchisement and legitimacy crisis

See also: New Enlightenment (China)

Leaders thought students and teachers would help guide changes, but this did not happen as planned. Many students felt they had few good job choices and became more interested in politics. Small groups started on university campuses to talk about these issues. At the same time, the government changed in ways that made some people feel unfair.

1986 student demonstrations

Main article: 1986 Chinese student demonstrations

In 1986, a professor named Fang Lizhi returned to China. He spoke about freedom and fair government at many universities. His ideas inspired students to protest for changes like better economics and more democracy. The protests started in one city but spread to many others. The government removed a leader for not controlling the protests and cracked down on these ideas to stop more protests.

Political reforms

Main article: History of the People's Republic of China § Political reforms

In 1980, Deng Xiaoping began talking about changing how the government worked. He wanted leaders to have term limits and for decisions to be made more together. In 1982, China created a new constitution. Later, Deng pushed for more changes to make government work better. A group was formed to look at these changes, and one leader gave a big speech in 1987 about improving the government and laws in China.

Funding and support

Main article: Funding of student organizations during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre

During the protests, people showed support in many ways. For example, a university in Hong Kong gave money to help the protesters. Groups formed in places like the United States, Canada, Japan, and Europe to show their support too. One group in New York helped pay for the protests and held events in big cities. Leaders wrote letters asking students to stay together and keep working for their goals.

Beginning of the 1989 protests

Death of Hu Yaobang

After Hu Yaobang passed away suddenly on 15 April 1989, students felt strongly that his death was connected to him being asked to leave his job. His death started many students to gather in large numbers. Posters appeared on university campuses honoring Hu and talking about bigger issues like fairness, democracy, and freedom to share news. Small gatherings to honor Hu began on 15 April around the Monument to the People's Heroes at Tiananmen Square. Many students from Peking University (PKU) and Tsinghua University joined these gatherings. Other student gatherings also happened in Xi'an and Shanghai on 16 April. On 17 April, students at the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) made a large wreath to remember Hu Yaobang.

Starting the night of 17 April, about three thousand PKU students walked toward Tiananmen Square, and soon nearly a thousand students from Tsinghua joined them. When they arrived, they joined the students already there. As more students came, the gathering turned into protests, with students creating a list of requests for the government, called the Seven Demands. These included asking for Hu’s ideas about democracy to be honored, stopping unfair treatments, sharing information about leaders’ money, allowing private newspapers, giving more money to schools and workers, ending rules against protests in Beijing, and fair news coverage about students.

On the morning of 18 April, students stayed in the square. Some sang songs and listened to speeches near the Monument to the People's Heroes. Others gathered at the Great Hall, while a few thousand students stood at Xinhua Gate, asking to talk to leaders. On 19 April, they tried to enter the leaders’ area but were stopped by police. Later, police used sticks to move back about 200 students, which made many more students angry and join the protests. Workers also started to support the students.

Hu’s funeral happened on 22 April. On the evening of 21 April, about 100,000 students marched to Tiananmen Square even though they were told not to because of the funeral. The funeral was shown on TV, but it seemed to be done very quickly. Some students tried to give a request to leaders but were not allowed in, which made students more upset.

On 21 April, students started organizing themselves. On 23 April, about 40 students from 21 universities formed the Beijing Students' Autonomous Federation (also known as the Union). They chose CUPL student Zhou Yongjun as chair. Wang Dan and Wu'erkaixi also became leaders. The Union asked all schools in Beijing to stop classes. This independent group worried the government leaders.

Rioting on 22 April

On 22 April, near dusk, serious troubles happened in Changsha and Xi'an.

In Xi'an, people set fires to cars and houses, and stole from shops near the city's Xihua Gate. At Xincheng Square, people tried to break into a government building during a broadcast of Hu Yaobang’s memorial, breaking windows and setting fires. They also threw stones at a bus with tourists. The rioting damaged 20 houses and 10 vehicles, and 130 police were hurt.

In Changsha, crowds smashed windows of shops and cars after a student march, and a bus was taken over. Chinese television showed damage and injuries to shop owners. 38 stores were robbed in the rioting. Over 350 people were arrested in both Changsha and Xi'an for stealing.

In Wuhan, university students organized protests against the local government. As things became more tense nationwide, Zhao Ziyang called many meetings of the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC). Zhao talked about discouraging students from protesting, stopping rioting, and talking with students. Premier Li Peng wanted Zhao to be stricter with the protestors, but Zhao disagreed. Even though people asked him to stay in Beijing, Zhao left for a visit to North Korea on 23 April.

26 April Editorial

Main article: 26 April Editorial

Zhao’s trip to North Korea meant Li Peng was in charge in Beijing. On 24 April, Li Peng and the PSC met with Beijing leaders to discuss the situation at the square. The leaders wanted to end the protests quickly and thought the protests were a plan to change China’s government and leaders, including Deng Xiaoping. While Zhao was away, the PSC agreed to take stronger action against the protestors. On 25 April, President Yang Shangkun and Premier Li Peng met with Deng, who supported taking a firm stand and said a warning should be given through news to stop more protests. This meeting was the first time the government officially said the protests were wrong, and showed Deng had the final decision on important issues. Li Peng then ordered Deng’s ideas to be shared with all important Communist Party members to organize against the protestors.

On 26 April, the party’s newspaper, the People's Daily, published an editorial titled "It is necessary to take a clear-cut stand against disturbances". The editorial called the student movement an attack against the party and government. This made students very angry because they thought it was a direct attack on their protests. Instead of making students stop, it made them more opposed to the government. The editorial remained a big problem for the rest of the protests.

27 April demonstrations

Main article: 27 April demonstrations

Organized by the Union on 27 April, about 50,000–100,000 students from all Beijing universities marched through the streets to Tiananmen Square, going past police lines and getting support from many people, especially workers. The student leaders wanted to show the movement was patriotic, so they talked less about opposing the Communist Party and more about stopping unfairness and helping workers, but still supporting the party. Because of the 26 April editorial, some students who wanted to change the party got more support.

The big march made the government agree to meet with student representatives. On 29 April, State Council spokesman Yuan Mu met with chosen student leaders. They talked about many things, like the editorial, the Xinhua Gate incident, and freedom to share news, but did not solve much. Independent student leaders like Wu'erkaixi did not attend.

The government became more friendly when Zhao Ziyang returned from Pyongyang on 30 April and took control again. Zhao thought being strict was not working and that being friendly was better. Zhao said the press could share positive news about the movement and gave two speeches on 3–4 May saying students’ concerns about unfairness were real and the movement was patriotic. These speeches went against the message of the 26 April Editorial. On 4 May, about 100,000 students marched in Beijing to remember the May Fourth Movement and repeated earlier demands, but many students were happy with the government’s friendly actions. On 4 May, all Beijing universities except PKU and BNU ended the class boycotts. After that, most students lost interest in the movement.

Escalation of the protests

Preparing for dialogue

Main article: Dialogue between students and the government during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre

The government did not know how to react to the protests as early as mid-April. Some leaders wanted to talk more with the students, while others wanted to stop the protests. Leaders argued about what to do. Some students wanted to take stronger actions and planned a hunger strike to get the government's attention.

Hunger strikes begin

Main article: Tiananmen hunger strikes

Students started a hunger strike on May 13, just before an important visit from a leader of another country. They hoped this would make the government listen to them. Many people supported the students, and protests spread to other cities. The protests were mostly peaceful, with students marching and singing songs.

Mikhail Gorbachev's visit

Main article: 1989 Sino-Soviet Summit

During this time, news reports showed support for the protesters. Some people tried to convince the students to leave the square, but many stayed. The visit of another country's leader happened while the protests were going on, causing some problems for the government. The leader met with some government officials while protests continued nearby.

Gathering momentum

From May 17 to 18, many people in Beijing joined the protests, including some police and government workers. People in other cities also protested. The government was unsure how to handle all the different groups protesting. The protests grew larger, and the government felt pressure to respond. Some leaders suggested using soldiers to control the protests. The protests continued to grow, with many people showing their support.

Outside Beijing

Main article: Gifts and donations from outside Mainland China during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests

People in other places, like Hong Kong, also showed support for the protesters in Beijing. Large crowds gathered to show their backing, and many around the world expressed concern about the situation. Some countries warned their citizens to avoid traveling to China at that time.

Military action

Main article: People's Liberation Army at the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre

Martial law

The Chinese government declared martial law on 20 May and brought troops from different parts of the country. The army’s first try to enter the city was stopped by protesters. After this, the army pulled back to bases outside the city.

Students kept having fun and talking about their ideas on the square. But as time went on, the students started arguing more with each other and it became hard to agree on what to do next. The square also got very crowded and dirty. Some students wanted to leave the square and go back to their schools, but others wanted to stay.

1 June

Li Peng's Report

On 1 June, a leader named Li Peng gave a report saying that some of the protest leaders had planned trouble.

MSS Report

Another report said that some ideas from other countries were affecting the students.

2–3 June

On 2 June, some students decided to stop eating to show they were serious. The government got ready to act. Some soldiers were hurt when they tried to move into the city.

3–4 June

In the evening of 3 June, the government told people to stay off the streets. Soldiers started moving into the square on the night of 3 June. There were fights between soldiers and protesters. Some soldiers were hurt, and some protesters were hurt too.

Chang'an Avenue

Fighting happened along Chang'an Avenue. Soldiers used special tools to try to move protesters.

Clearing the square

Early on 4 June, soldiers entered Tiananmen Square. Some protesters tried to stop them, and there were more fights. Most protesters left the square after the government told them to. By morning, soldiers had taken control of the square.

In the city

After the square was cleared, soldiers continued to move through the city. There were more fights in different parts of Beijing.

5 June and the Tank Man

Main article: Tank Man

On June 5, soldiers were moving through the city. One person stood in front of a line of tanks. This moment was filmed by reporters.

Protests outside Beijing

After Beijing, protests happened in many other cities in China. In some places, people built blockades and marched. In a few cities, there were fights between protesters and police.

Government's pronouncements

See also: June 9 Deng speech

On 6 June, a government spokesperson said that many people had been hurt or killed. On 9 June, a leader named Deng Xiaoping spoke about the protests.

Death toll

See also: People's Liberation Army at the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre § Casualties

The number of people who died during the protests in Tiananmen Square is still not clear. Right after the events, the government did not say how many people died. Because of this, different groups gave different numbers.

The government first said about 300 people died. Other groups said the number was higher, from a few hundred to several thousand. Some groups, like the Tiananmen Mothers, have worked to remember those who died.

Most reports say that while many people were hurt or killed, the worst violence did not happen inside the square. Most deaths happened in areas around the square as troops moved into the city.

Immediate aftermath

Arrests, punishments, and evacuations

Main articles: Dissidents in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre and Operation Yellowbird

See also: Women's roles during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre

In June 1989, the Beijing government searched for 21 student leaders who helped organize large protests. These students were part of a group called the Beijing Students Autonomous Federation. The government showed their pictures and names on TV. Some of these students escaped to other countries, like the United States and the United Kingdom, with help from some Western groups. Others were caught and put in prison.

Leadership changes

Main article: Political purges during and after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre

After the protests, some top leaders in China lost their jobs. New leaders took over, and one important leader, Deng Xiaoping, stepped back from his big job but stayed influential for a while.

Media coverage

Official narrative

The Chinese government said the protests caused trouble, and they had to act to keep the country safe and help it grow economically. They made sure newspapers and TV followed their story about what happened.

Chinese media

After the protests, Chinese news channels had strict rules. Some reporters who showed sympathy for the protesters lost their jobs.

Foreign media

Main article: Foreign media at the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre

Foreign news teams had a hard time reporting. Some were not allowed to stay in the country, and a few were treated badly by authorities. Some pictures of the events were not shown because they were very upsetting.

Reactions

Main article: Reactions to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre

Many Western governments and news reports criticized how the Chinese government dealt with the protests. Some Asian countries, like India, did not talk much about it to stay on good terms with China. A few other places, such as Cuba and Czechoslovakia, agreed with the Chinese government's actions.

Some people have talked about the importance of remembering what happened and keeping the right to speak about these events peacefully.

Longer-term impact

Politics

Further information: Political purges during and after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre

After this time, the government focused more on national pride to gain support. This helped improve public opinion.

Support for change decreased among thoughtful people, and support for stronger control grew.

The protests showed problems in handling large groups of people. Since then, efforts have been made to improve training and equipment for managing such situations.

Economy

See also: Deng Xiaoping's southern tour

After the protests, many worried about China’s future. The response caused delays in China joining a major global trade group until 2001. Aid money dropped, loans stopped, and tourism fell. But China spent more on defense.

The government paused some economic changes but later resumed them. By the mid-1990s, China was growing faster than before. Even with political changes, many focused on economic progress. Growth returned quickly in the 1990s.

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, people worried China might not keep its promises after taking control. A leader tried to give more people the right to vote, causing tension. Many Hong Kong people lost trust in China’s government.

Every year since 1989, many people in Hong Kong have gathered to remember. A museum about these events closed in 2016 but plans to reopen. These events still affect how people in Hong Kong view China and democracy.

China's image internationally

The Chinese government faced criticism for how it handled the protests. Many countries saw China as isolated. But China worked to improve its image by joining international groups and focusing on trade.

Though relations with Western countries were hurt, China kept good ties with its Asian neighbors. China joined many international agreements and improved relations with countries like Russia and Israel.

European Union and the United States arms embargo

Main article: European Union arms embargo on the People's Republic of China

Some countries stopped selling weapons to China because of how the protests were handled. This ban is still in place today. China has asked to end the ban, but some countries, like the United States and the United Kingdom, still support it.

Chinese diaspora

After the protests, many Chinese people moved to other countries. The United States allowed many to stay and work. Australia also offered protection to thousands. Cities like Vancouver saw a large increase in Chinese immigrants, many of whom were professionals and students.

Contemporary issues

Censorship in China

Further information: Censorship in China

See also: Internet censorship of the protest and Chinese censorship abroad

The Chinese government has tried to stop people from learning about the protests in Tiananmen Square. They have blocked talks, taken away films and books, and limited what is taught in schools. Because of this, many young people in China do not know much about what happened.

People are often careful when they talk about these events because they are afraid of being punished. Some families who lost loved ones during the protests have shared their stories, but they face many difficulties.

Calls for the government to reassess

Some people, including former soldiers, have asked the government to think about the events in a new way. In a few cases, families of those who were hurt have received small payments from the government.

Chinese leaders voicing regret

Before they passed away, some leaders shared their personal feelings about what happened. They expressed sadness about the events and wished things had turned out differently.

United Nations report

In 2008, a group from the United Nations asked the Chinese government to look into reports of people being hurt or missing during the protests. They suggested that the government should apologize and take responsibility. The Chinese government said they had looked into it and believed their actions were necessary.

Software and IT remembrance

Some technology experts in China remember the events in their own special ways. For example, the creator of a well-known text editor made a special version to honor those affected by the protests.