Tiananmen Square Protest [TSP]


Tiananmen Square in Flames (Frontline Clip)
In this section we attempt to uncover the facts behind what actually happened during those fateful weeks in May and June of 1989. We will examine the actions of the protestors and the government alike, all leading up to the massacre that took place on the night of June 3rd. This article is divided three sections, the first describing the preliminary events and the government’s initial attempts to gain control of Tiananmen Square. When these efforts failed, the CCP was forced to use other drastic means, resulting in the deaths of many Chinese citizens during June 3rd and 4th. Finally the last section examines “The Tank Man”, an intriguing figure who defied all logic and stood alone in the path of the incoming army.

May 19th - June 2nd


As mentioned in the Introduction, the student protestors had began staging a massive protest for political freedom which had caused much disruption within the city and the government. On May 19th the student leaders learned of the government's plan to declare martial law, and anticipating the chaos that would come they called off their hunger strike which took part during their protests. They were far from giving up however, and instead staged a massive sit-in protest through the Square that attracted around 1.2 million supporters. During this time, China's Communist Party (CCP) official Zhao Ziyang appeared in the Square to try and reach a compromise with the students, but to no avail. Due to his sympathizing towards the students he soon was ousted from office, and his speech in the Square would be his last public appearance.

On May 20th an astonishing thing happened. After 40 years of “peaceful” communist rule, PLA troops were sent in to occupy Beijing. Their progress was greatly hindered however, as huge numbers of civilian protestors flocked to the streets to block their entry. With orders not to fire on the protestors, the soldiers found themselves in a precarious situation. For 48 hours they were literally stuck in the streets, unable to reach the Square and unable to retreat due to the massed protestors surrounding them. During this time the protestors constantly assault the troops with verbal reprimands, teaching them about their movement and repeatedly telling them to go home and leave their city alone. Human rights activist Robin Munro witnessed these events and noted that the people kept telling the soldiers: We're staying. You're not coming in. Sorry, this is our city. Go back where you came from. You're not needed. There's no chaos. Leave us alone." Finally on May 24 the PLA was forced to withdraw.

Unfortunately the victory was short-lived for the Beijing protestors. While they had won a battle they were far from winning the war, and CCP leader Deng Xiaoping was busy preparing for a new offense. Shamed and humiliated, the CCP knew that if they were to regain legitimacy within the country they would need to act quickly and decisively. Deng “wanted to crack down, and he wanted everyone to participate, because if everyone participated, there could be no finger-pointing afterward” reports eyewitness Jan Wong. Rather than using local Beijing troops to quall the protest, Deng Xiaoping ordered troops from surrounding provinces, troops with no emotional and ideological connections to the protestors in the Square, to begin making their way to the city.
From May 25th through June 2nd the atmosphere is one of relief and jubilation for the protestors in the Square. There is “a sense of euphoria in Beijing, particularly among the citizens, because they had effectively told the People's Liberation Army [PLA] that they could not come into the city” says eyewitness Timothy Brook. Unaware of the thousands of troops bearing down on their position, the protestors feel they have won a victory and are confident that their voices will not go unheard. Meanwhile Party leaders finalized plans to silence the protestors, now dubbed a “counter-revolutionary riot”, with any and all means necessary. Although they hope to do so without resorting to violence, most realized that bloodshed was on the horizon.

June 3rd - 4th


Soon, word spread to the protestors that the PLA was advancing from every direction upon the city. Without delay, Beijing residents swarm the streets to block the army once more, just as it had done two weeks earlier. People set up barricades and waited for the army to come. However, the people were unaware that the soldiers had been given a direct order to clear the Square of protestors by 6:00am on June 4th, with no exceptions. As the soldiers began to break through the barricades the people responded by yelling, throwing rocks, and hurling Molotov cocktails through the air. In response the soldiers opened fire. The soldiers used battlefield ammunition which was capable of doing tremendous damage to any that were unfortunate enough to be hit. Wounded civilians were gathered up by people on bicycles and pull carts and carried off to the hospitals, but soon the hospitals were so full of casualties that they ran out of room. Chaos reigned through the streets as untold numbers were shot and killed many civilians.

On the morning of June 4th with only a few hours remaining until the deadline, PLA officials gave a final offer of peace to the remaining students. They were to leave immediately, or suffer the consequences. Putting the matter to vote the student leaders decided to vacate the square as thousands of soldiers watched from all directions.

As the hours dwindled by, people began to attempt a re-entry into the square through the Chang’an Boulevard. Although ordered to leave by the soldiers the newcomers refused, and were promptly shot down by the troops. Eyewitness reports claimed that the citizens seemed unwilling to believe that the soldiers were actually using live ammunition, but no one could argue with the results as the bodies began to pile up. Every 40 minutes or so people worked up the courage to venture back into the Square and start yelling at the soldiers, only to be shot down yet again. Even rescue workers who attempted to come and help the wounded were shot as well.
Official records of the death toll for June 3-4 were impossible to obtain. Some reports estimated a few hundred dead and wounded, while others claim it was close to 10,000. The Chinese government states that 241 people were killed, including soldiers, and another 7,000 wounded however, these results were by far the lowest figures reported for the number of deaths.

June 5th

As June 5th, 1989 dawned upon the world it was clear that the army was in complete control of Beijing. Untold numbers of people had been killed or wounded, and the chaos of the past two days had given way to an eerie calm.
Around noon the world witnessed one final act of protest that would spur acts of defiance for years to come. As a column of tanks moved slowly along the Chang’an Boulevard a lone man burst forth from the sidelines right into the path of the incoming tanks. Rather than simply running him over, the tanks tried to go around, but each time the man stepped in front of them again and blocked their path. After several attempts to maneuver around the man the tank finally stop and turned off its engine. Immediately the man climbed on top of the tank and spoke to the driver for a few moments, and soon returned to the ground to keep the tanks from progressing forwards. A short time later a group of unidentified people emerge and whisk the man away, never to be seen again.

Who was this legendary “Tank Man”, and what became of him? It is likely the world will never know his story, but one thing is for certain. The memory of the Tank Man’s actions will live on forever, and continue to be a symbol for freedom and defiance against oppressive government regimes all across the world. His act represented “the power of the citizen to actually have an effect on the might of the state”, explains Orville Schell, a Dean at the University of California, and will surely never be forgotten.

Sources for this section include:

Frontline. “The Memory of Tiananmen 1989.” 11 April 2006. Accessed on 26 May 2010. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tankman/cron/

Frontline. “Analysis.” 11 April 2006. PBS. Accessed on 20 May 2010. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tankman/themes/