Did the Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown happen in 1989?

Yes, the Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown occurred in 1989. Student-led demonstrations began in April 1989 in Beijing, centered on Tiananmen Square, calling for political reform, greater democracy, and addressing issues like corruption. The protests grew to include hundreds of thousands of participants over the following weeks.

The Chinese government declared martial law, and on the night of June 3–4, 1989, the military moved in to clear the square and surrounding areas, using force against protesters. This resulted in a significant number of deaths, though the exact toll remains disputed and unconfirmed due to censorship by the Chinese government, with estimates ranging widely from several hundred to possibly over a thousand.

The event remains a highly sensitive topic in China, where it is heavily censored, and it is commemorated internationally, notably in Hong Kong (prior to recent restrictions) and Taiwan, each June 4th.