Did the Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown happen in 1989?
Yes.
The Tiananmen Square protests (also known as the Tiananmen Square incident or June Fourth Incident) were a series of student-led demonstrations in Beijing and other Chinese cities in the spring of 1989, calling for democracy, political reform, free speech, an end to corruption, and other changes. They began in mid-April 1989 following the death of reformist Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang and grew to involve hundreds of thousands of people.[1]
The Chinese government declared martial law in May and carried out a military crackdown on the night of June 3–4, 1989 (into June 5), using troops and tanks to clear Tiananmen Square and surrounding areas. This resulted in hundreds to thousands of deaths (exact figures remain disputed; the Chinese government has reported lower numbers while other estimates are significantly higher) and many injuries and arrests. The events are widely documented by historical sources, though discussion remains heavily restricted in mainland China.[2][3]
Citations (3)
- https://www.britannica.com/event/Tiananmen-Square-incident
Backs: “They began in mid-April 1989 following the death of reformist Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang and grew to involve hundreds of thousands of people.”
- https://www.history.com/articles/tiananmen-square
Backs: “The events are widely documented by historical sources, though discussion remains heavily restricted in mainland China.”
- https://apnews.com/article/d7944725cf6a4abe88ba3f706c3cbbaa
Backs: “The events are widely documented by historical sources, though discussion remains heavily restricted in mainland China.”