Tiananmen Square anniversary: 36 years of silenced sorrow and remembrance
It has been 36 years since the Tiananmen Square massacre, when Chinese troops violently suppressed student-led demonstrations calling for political reform. Tanks rolled through the crowds, and the death toll is believed to have reached into the thousands. To this day, Chinese authorities continue to ban public commemorations of the tragedy. Here's what you should know about this pivotal moment in modern history.
On the night of June 3–4, 1989, Chinese authorities launched a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Following weeks of peaceful protests led by students and intellectuals calling for political reform, troops moved in after issuing warnings. Around midnight, military vehicles and light tanks entered the square, and soldiers began firing into the crowd.
Why did the Tiananmen Square massacre occur?
The Tiananmen Square protests emerged as a powerful display of public discontent with the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. Students, backed by workers, rallied for political reform and democratic freedoms. The movement was also a tribute to the late General Secretary Hu Yaobang, whose legacy had come to represent hopes for liberalization and political openness in China.
Although General Secretary Zhao Ziyang advocated for dialogue with the demonstrators, the Chinese leadership ultimately chose a military solution. Pressured by Premier Li Peng, Deng Xiaoping approved the deployment of the 27th Army from outside the capital. The unit was tasked with clearing Tiananmen Square and did so with brutal force, bringing the protests to a violent end.
Dramatic events at Tiananmen Square
What began as a student-led movement soon drew widespread support from workers, as demonstrators called for political reform and action against government corruption. In May 1989, thousands joined a hunger strike in the heart of Beijing, intensifying pressure on the authorities. Alarmed by the swelling crowds, the Chinese government deployed 250,000 troops to the capital. On June 4, tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square, and soldiers opened fire on the protesters.
Eyewitness reports, including accounts from a correspondent for the Italian daily La Stampa, recount harrowing scenes as military vehicles and light tanks moved into Tiananmen Square around midnight. Soldiers at first fired warning shots into the air, but by 2:00 AM, the crackdown escalated sharply—troops began shooting directly into the crowd at head level, marking the most violent phase of the assault.
A BBC News correspondent in Beijing reported that gunfire rang out across the city center as soldiers opened fire indiscriminately. The assault lasted for seven hours, continuing through the night and ending at dawn, leaving a devastating toll in its aftermath.
Consequences of the massacre
Following the crackdown, Chinese authorities claimed that student protesters had assaulted soldiers. More than 2,500 people were arrested, with several receiving death sentences. By the end of June 1989, General Secretary Zhao Ziyang—who had opposed the use of force—was removed from office.
Declassified documents released in 2017 suggest the death toll from the Tiananmen Square massacre may have reached as high as 10,000. In stark contrast, Chinese authorities have long maintained that only 241 people were killed, including members of the military.
Censorship and repression for commemorating tragic events
In the wake of the massacre, Chinese authorities swiftly imposed censorship, removed and cremated the bodies of the deceased, and arrested numerous protest participants—some of whom are still behind bars today. In 2019, defying official restrictions, residents of Beijing quietly gathered in Tiananmen Square to honor the victims.
Despite the passage of decades, Chinese authorities—and, in recent years, officials in Hong Kong—continue to ban public commemorations of the Tiananmen Square massacre. The 1989 crackdown remains one of the most sensitive and heavily censored chapters in China’s modern history, with the government actively working to suppress its memory.
