Did the Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown happen in 1989?

Yes, the Tiananmen Square protests and the subsequent military crackdown occurred in 1989.

•The Protests: Began in mid-April 1989, sparked by the death of Hu Yaobang, a pro-reform leader of the Chinese Communist Party. Led primarily by university students, the demonstrations called for political and economic reforms, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and an end to government corruption. At their height, the protests drew an estimated one million people to Tiananmen Square in Beijing and spread to other Chinese cities.

•The Crackdown: Following weeks of demonstrations and the declaration of martial law in May, the Chinese government ordered the military to clear the square. On the night of June 3 and into the morning of June 4, 1989, Chinese troops armed with assault rifles and tanks advanced into the center of Beijing, opening fire on protesters and unarmed citizens.

The exact death toll remains unknown and heavily disputed, with estimates ranging from several hundred to thousands of casualties. In much of the world, the event is remembered as the Tiananmen Square Massacre (and symbolized by the iconic "Tank Man" photograph taken on June 5, 1989), while in China, the event is heavily censored and referred to as the June Fourth Incident.

Citations (4)

1britannica.comEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
britannica.com
Backs: “Yes, the Tiananmen Square protests and the subsequent military crackdown occurred in 1989.”
2wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “Yes, the Tiananmen Square protests and the subsequent military crackdown occurred in 1989.”
3amnesty.orgNonprofits and think tanks
amnesty.org
Backs: “Led primarily by university students, the demonstrations called for political and economic reforms, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and an end to government corruption.”
4amnesty.org.ukNonprofits and think tanks
amnesty.org.uk
Backs: “At their height, the protests drew an estimated one million people to Tiananmen Square in Beijing and spread to other Chinese cities.”