View source for 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests

{{Infobox
|Name= {{i|64}} June Fourth 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests {{i|64}}
|NativeName= {{ILSize|ChineseL-icon.png|Chinese Language}}: 六四天安门广场抗议
|founded= 1989
|predicon= Beijing
|onlypredecessor= Beijing
|ended= 1989
|nexticon= Beijing
|onlysuccessor= Beijing
|image= 64.png
|Caption= Nothing happened on June 4th 1989 at Tiananmen Square.
|Alias= {{Scroll|6/4 incident<br>June Fourth incident<br>Tiananmen Square protests<br>6/4 Tiananmen Square Protests<br>1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre<br>Movement of 89<br>Student protests of 89<br>'89 {{I|Dem}} [[Democracy]] Movement<br>Tiananmen uprising<br>The political turmoil at the turn of spring and summer in 1989 (1989年春夏之交的政治风波)<br>8964}}
|Time= 15 April 1989 – 5 June 1989
|Alignments= {{Info/LibUnity}} (most)
|Origin= {{i|PRC}} [[People's Republic of China]]
|Influenced By= {{Scroll|{{i|AntiAuth}} [[Anti-Authoritarianism]]<br>{{i|AntiCorrupt}} [[Anti-Corruption]]<br>{{i|AntiDeng}} [[Anti-Dengism]]<br>{{i|BigTent}} [[Big Tentism]]<br>{{i|Reactionary}} [[Reactionaryism]] (accused by {{i|Deng}} [[Dengism]])<br>'''Factions:'''<br>{{I|AntiCommie}} [[Anti-Communism]]<br>{{i|DemSoc}} [[Democratic Socialism]]<br>{{i|Gorbachev}} [[Gorbachevism]]<br>{{i|Hu}} [[Huism]]<br>{{i|Lib}} [[Liberalism]]<br>{{i|Maoism}} [[Maoism]]<br>{{i|NeoCon}} [[Neoconservatism]]<br>{{i|Tridemism}} [[Tridemism]]}}
|Influenced= 
|People= 
|Examples= 
*{{i|BeijingSAF}} [[Beijing Students' Autonomous Federation]] (1989)
|Likes = {{i|Dem}} [[Democracy]]<br>{{i|Hu}} [[Huism|Hu Yaobang]]<br>Flowers<br>Statue of Liberty
|Dislikes = {{i|PLA}} [[People's Liberation Army|People Massacring Army]]<br>{{i|CCPolice}} [[People's Police of China|"People's" Police of China]]<br>{{i|LiPeng}} [[Li Peng Thought|Li Peng]]<br>{{i|JiangZemin}} [[Three Represents|Jiang Zemin]]<br>{{i|DengXiaoping}} [[Deng Xiaoping]]
|Preceded= {{I|AntiAuth}} [[Anti-Authoritarianism]]
|Succeeded= 
|themecolor= Black
|textcolor= White
|Song= {{I|AntiAuth}} [[#Flower of Freedom|Flower of Freedom – Hymn to Tiananmen Square Protests]] {{I|HongKongDem}}
}}{{Quote|We believed that with peaceful protest, the government would listen. We were wrong.|{{i|AntiAuth}} [[Anti-Authoritarianism|Anonymous student]], ''The Gate of Heavenly Peace''}}'''1989 Tiananmen Square Protests''', known within China as the '''June Fourth Incident''' or simply '''8964''', refers to the series of protests of 1989 held by students at Tiananmen Square against the {{i|PRC}} [[People's Republic of China|Chinese government]] (specifically {{i|DengXiaoping}} [[Deng Xiaoping Thought|Deng]] and {{i|Deng}} [[Dengism|his allies]]). This is most known for the large scale protest and subsequent massacre that happened on June 4th, conducted on unarmed protesters by the {{i|PLA}} [[People's Liberation Army]] (there were spillovers to the 3rd and 5th, but it mainly happened on the 4th). It was a result of two clashing ideologies and a fundamental fear that the {{i|CCP}} [[Chinese Communist Party|CCP]] had that they would be destroyed in the process.

The brave, young, and naïve students, with limited knowledge through education in the communist regime, promoted their best guesses of what freedom is supposed to be, some examples include {{i|DemSoc}} [[Democratic Socialism]], {{i|Gorbachev}} [[Gorbachevism]], {{i|LiberalSoc}} [[Liberal Socialism]], {{i|Tridemism}} [[Tridemism]], or even {{i|Maoism}} [[Maoism]]. At least, they know that their status quo of {{i|Deng}} [[Dengism]] was anything but.

The true scale of the massacre went unreported in Western media for nearly 30 years, as {{I|Globalism}} [[Globalism|globalists]] negotiated trade agreements and welcomed the {{I|PRC}} [[People's Republic of China|PRC]] into the {{I|WTO}} [[World Trade Organization]]. Many Western sources, including {{I|Wikipedia}} [[Wikipedia]], toe the Chinese Communist Party line on many events and details, including casualty statistics.

The Tiananmen Square protests and massacre has become the most sensitive topic in the PRC today. Any references to them will be heavily censored and removed.

==History==
===Background===
{{i|DengXiaoping}} [[Deng Xiaoping Thought|Deng Xiaoping]] selected {{i|Hu}} [[Huism|Hu Yaobang]] as one of his advisors, and Hu was part of a {{i|Reformism}} [[Reformism|reformist]] faction that called to liberalize {{i|PRC}} [[People's Republic of China|China]] both economically and politically. A lot of young people became sympathetic to Hu. Deng did some economic reforms and got some people rich first ("crossing the river by stepping on the stones"), which benefited the {{I|CCP}} [[Chinese Communist Party|CCP elite]] the most since they are profiting from the amount of control they have over the economic sector. This led to a public resentment towards government and party {{i|Klep}} [[Kleptocracy|corruption]]. Calls for political reform were suppressed, as Deng indented to do {{i|StateCap}} [[State Capitalism|capitalistic]] reforms in the economic sector only. So when the opening-up came with the Western ideas of freedom, that was a no-no. Hu and Deng were clashing with their different ideas, which led to Hu's forced resignation in 1987.

Hu died in 1989, and two days later students came to Tiananmen Square to mourn him. This kicked off the string of protests, and the students wanted the government to reform its corrupt system. Newspapers were ready to publish mournings of Hu, but they were reprimanded in {{i|Shanghai}} [[Shanghai]], leading to further protests. The new general secretary {{i|Zhao}} [[Zhaoism|Zhao Ziyang]] declared martial law on May 20th and another time on June 3rd.

==="Storming" Zhongnanhai===
On the night of April 18th, three days after Hu died, students organized a sit in protest at the Xinhua Gate, which is the entrance to Zhongnanhai, the CCP central government compound. Armed {{i|CCPolice}} [[People's Police of China|police]] formed a line to oppose the students who wanted to deliver flower wreaths inside the compound for Hu's death, and they also wanted to submit their "Seven Demands":
# Reassess {{i|Hu}} [[Huism|Hu Yaobang]]'s legacy
# Punish officials who attacked civilians
# Legalize press freedom
# Publicize officials' {{i|Plutocracy}} [[Plutocracy|wealth]] and {{i|Klep}} [[Kleptocracy|profiteering]]
# {{i|Reformism}} [[Reformism|Reform]] education
# Reverse anti-liberalization campaigns
# Report on protests fairly

Behind the human barricade of armed police, the students were shouting things like "{{i|LiPeng}} [[Li Peng Thought|Li Peng]] come out!". Li Peng was the premier at the time who was basically head of government. Allegedly some people did try to push through the barricade of police, but according to witnesses accounts they believed that they were disguised agents who are trying to stir things up and escalate the situation. There were people throwing shoes and pushing in shouting "go in, go in", and once they rushed into Zhongnanhai they never came out because they were all CCP affiliates, and once they go in they just stayed there because their job is done. No actual students "stormed" Zhongnanhai, as at the time they tried to verify all who went in Zhongnanhai against student records, and they weren't really students, making the possibility of agents present.

{{i|Zhao}} [[Zhaoism|Zhao Ziyang]] instructed the police to not carry bayonets and both sides were to remain non-violent. Li Peng was very {{i|Stratocracy}} [[Stratocracy|pro-martial law]] and wanted to violently suppress the students, while Zhao Ziyang was more sympathetic and wanted things to deescalate and find a {{i|Pacifism}} [[Pacifism|peaceful]] solution.

Still, on April 19th and 20th, students gathered at Zhongnanhai, exchanges and intense standoffs occurred, along with clashes as well. The police had clubs and belts with icon buckles on them, so injuries still happened. On the 20th, police used batons to beat down students. This was the first bloodbath of the protests of 89.

===Meetings and Negotiations===
On 19 April, the editors of the {{I|Lib}} [[World Economic Herald]], a magazine close to reformists, decided to publish a commemorative section on {{I|Hu}} [[Huism|Hu]]. Inside was an article by {{I|AntiAuth}} [[Anti-Authoritarianism|Yan Jiaqi]], which commented favorably on the student protests, and called for a reassessment of Hu's 1987 purge. {{I|JiangZemin}} [[Jiang Zemin]] demanded that the article be censored, and many newspapers were printed with a blank page. Jiang then suspended lead editor {{I|Lib}} [[Liberalism|Qin Benli]], earning the trust of the party elders.

On April 22, students wanted to meet with the {{i|CCP}} [[Chinese Communist Party|CCP leadership]]. But it never happened until May 18th.

On April 26, there was an editorial that came out from the {{i|People's Daily}} [[People's Daily]] titled "We must take a clear cut stance against disturbances". The editorial defined the student movement as a destabilizing anti-Party movement.

Organized by the {{i|BeijingSAF}} [[Beijing Students' Autonomous Federation|Union]] on 27 April, some 50,000 to 100,000 students from all {{I|Beijing}} [[Beijing]] universities marched through the streets of the capital to Tiananmen Square, breaking through lines set up by {{I|CCPolice}} [[People's Police of China|police]], and receiving widespread public support along the way, particularly from factory workers. The student leaders, eager to show the {{I|Patriotism}} [[Patriotism|patriotic]] nature of the movement, also toned down {{I|AntiCommie}} [[Anti-Communism|anti-Communist]] slogans, choosing to present a message of "{{I|AntiCorrupt}} [[Anti-Corruption|anti-corruption]]" and "anti-cronyism", but "{{I|CCP}} [[Chinese Communist Party|pro-party]]". In a twist of irony, student factions who genuinely called for the overthrow of the Communist Party gained traction due to the 26 April editorial.

Students began the hunger strike on 13 May, two days before the highly publicized state visit by {{I|USSR}} [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet]] leader {{I|Gorbachev}} [[Gorbachevism|Mikhail Gorbachev]]. Knowing that Gorbachev's welcoming ceremony was scheduled to be held on the square, student leaders wanted to use the hunger strike to force the government into meeting their demands. Moreover, the hunger strike gained widespread sympathy from the population at large and earned the student movement the {{I|Moralism}} [[Moralism|moral high ground]]. By the afternoon of 13 May, some 300,000 were gathered at the square. Inspired by the events in Beijing, protests and strikes began at universities in other cities, with many students travelling to Beijing to join the demonstration. Generally, the Tiananmen Square demonstration was well ordered, with daily marches of students from various Beijing-area colleges displaying their support of the classroom boycott and the protesters' demands. Some students sang {{I|Commie}} [[Communism|The Internationale]], on their way to, and while at, the square, not knowing what the very ideology would bring them.

On May 17th, {{i|Deng}} [[Deng Xiaoping Thought|Deng Xiaoping]] held meetings within the {{i|CCP}} [[Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|Politburo Standing Committee]] to state that martial law was needed. {{i|Zhao}} [[Zhaoism|Zhao Ziyang]] spoke against this because he wanted to protect the protestors. The following day, May 18th, a second meeting happened at Deng's home in {{i|Beijing}} [[Beijing]] where Zhao was not involved. In this meeting, Deng effectively said that troops were needed and bloodshed will occur. On the same day, {{i|LiPeng}} [[Li Peng Thought|Li Peng]] met with the student protesters. The point of the meeting was useless as the Party has already made its decision.

===Martial Law===
{{i|PRC}} [[People's Republic of China]] declared martial law on 20 May and mobilized at least 30 divisions from five of the country's seven military regions. At least 14 of the {{I|PLA}} [[People's Liberation Army|PLA]]'s 24 army corps contributed troops. {{I|PRC}} [[Guangzhou]]'s civil aviation authorities suspended civil airline travel to prepare for transporting military units.

Defying martial law, students entertained themselves with music, drinking, and smoking on the square. At the same time, internal divisions intensified within the student movement. By late May, the students became increasingly disorganized with no clear leadership or unified course of action. Moreover, Tiananmen Square was overcrowded and facing serious hygiene problems. 

On May 22, a military helicopter drops leaflets above Tiananmen Square which state that the student protesters should leave the Square as soon as possible.

On May 30th, a 10-meter-tall (33 ft) white statue made out of foam and papier-mâché was erected. It took 4 days to build, and was named "Goddess of {{i|Dem}} [[Democracy]]" and was of a women holding a torch, a clear reference to the Statue of Liberty. The constructors decided to make the statue as large as possible to try to dissuade the {{i|CCP}} [[Chinese Communist Party|government]] from dismantling it: the government would either have to destroy the statue—an action which would potentially fuel further criticism of its policies—or leave it standing.

===June Fourth Protests and Massacre===
A massive gathering at Tiananmen Square with thousands of students happened on June 3rd, and the {{i|PLA}} [[People's Liberation Army]] arrived under order of the {{I|CCP}} [[Chinese Communist Party|CCP]]. Local residents came out to support the protestors by building protective barricades and giving food and water.

About 200,000 soldiers from twenty-two divisions from thirteen army corps have been transferred to the Beijing region under {{I|Strato alt}} [[Stratocracy|martial law]], in the face of the powerlessness of the {{I|PAP}} [[People's Armed Police]] to curb the demonstrations. The soldiers of the PLA began mounting in numbers. Some protestors tried to befriend the soldiers, saying that the people's army should not be enemies with the people. 

The soldiers and tanks of the {{I|PLA}} [[27th Group Army|27th]] and {{I|PLA}} [[28th Group Army|28th]] Armies of the PLA were sent to take control of {{I|Beijing}} [[Beijing]]. The 27th Army was commanded by the son or nephew of vice-chairman {{I|PLA}} [[Stratocracy|Yang Shangkun]]. At a press conference, {{I|USA}} [[United States of America|US]] president {{I|GHWB}} [[Geroge H. W. Bush Thought|George H. W. Bush]] announced sanctions against the {{I|PRC}} [[People's Republic of China]], following calls for action from members of Congress, such as senator {{I|NatCon}} [[National Conservatism|Jesse Helms]]. GHWB referred to intelligence he had received indicating a certain disunity within the Chinese military ranks and even the possibility of clashes within the army.

As rumors spread that hundreds of thousands of soldiers were approaching from all four corners of the city, the people of {{I|beijing}} [[Beijing]] flooded into the streets to block their advance. The citizens of Beijing erected barricades at every major intersection. Protesters {{I|Arson}} [[Arsonism|set fire]] to public buses and used them as roadblocks.

The killing didn't start until late into the night of June 3rd and into the morning of June 4th, because the order was to clear the square by 5:00 AM next morning. On 3 June, at 8:00 PM, {{i|PLA}} [[82nd Group Army|38th Army]] advanced into Chang'an Avenue. Troops armed with anti-riot gear clashed with the protesters and began firing rubber bullets and tear gas, while some protesters in return threw rocks and soda bottles at them. Around 10:30 AM, near the Muxidi apartment blocks (which housed senior Party officials and their families), demonstrators shouted at the soldiers, with some throwing stones at them. A column of vehicles was set ablaze as PLA attempted to break through the barricades.

At 10:30 PM, while still clashing, the 38th Army troops opened fire with live ammunition. The crowds were stunned that the army was intending to kill them and fell back towards Muxidi Bridge. The troops used expanding bullets, prohibited by international law for use in {{I|War}} [[War|warfare]] between countries but not for other uses.

Some people were struck inside their own apartments. Fighting continued in the streets surrounding the square, as demonstrators repeatedly advanced against the PLA, building barricades with vehicles, while PLA tanks forced their way through, firing indiscriminately.

Many of the wounded were rescued by rickshaw drivers who ventured into the no man's land separating the soldiers from the crowd, carrying the injured to hospitals. After the assault, television coverage broadcast live images of numerous people wearing black armbands in protest, crowds occupying the boulevards, and lingering shots of still-smoldering vehicles and barricades. On a few occasions, officers were pulled from their tanks, beaten, and even killed by demonstrators. The soldier death toll sits around 30.

Troops from the west arrived at the square at about 1:30 AM, and troops from other directions gradually arrived as well, blocking main roads to the square to prevent entry. The PLA wasn't the army of the nation; it was the army of the {{I|CCP}} [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]]. This was not a decision or will of the people to suppress these protestors. Barricades were smashed, and civilians were killed. They began shooting indiscriminately at the crowd of protestors as well.

The PLA systematically set up checkpoints all around the city, pursuing demonstrators and closing access to the university district. On the square itself, a debate emerged between those, including {{I|64}} [[Trade Unionism|Han Dongfang]], who wanted to withdraw, and those, like {{I|Fem}} [[Feminism|Chai Ling]], who insisted on remaining.

The kindhearted students kneeled in front of the Great Hall of the People. They thought their voices could be heard. They thought that they, while singing the {{I|Commie}} [[Communism|communist]] national anthem, was one of their own.

On the morning of June 4, the {{I|KGB}} [[Committee for State Security|KGB]] station chief in Beijing sent the following report to the KGB director:
<blockquote>Initially, troops from five army corps forming the {{I|Beijing}} [[Beijing Military Region]] {{I|PLA}} were engaged:
*the {{I|PLA}} [[24th Group Army]] (based in {{I|Chengde}} [[Chengde]], north of {{I|Beijing}} [[Beijing]], {{I|Hebei}} [[Hebei|Hebei Province]], which encircles the Beijing region) and their {{I|PLA}} [[1st Armored Brigade (PRC)|1st Armored Division]] ({{I|Tianjin}} [[Tianjin]]),
*the {{I|PLA}} [[82nd Group Army|38th Regiment]], headquartered in {{I|Shijiazhuang}} [[Shijiazhuang]] (Hebei), including the 13th Tank Brigade,
*the {{I|PLA}} [[63rd Group Army]] (headquarters in {{I|Taiyuan}} [[Taiyuan]], {{I|Shanxi}} [[Shanxi|Shanxi Province]]),
*the {{I|PLA}} [[81st Group Army|65th Group Army]] (headquarters in {{I|Zhangjiakou}} [[Zhangjiakou]], Hebei),
*the special forces for the protection of the government and leadership: the {{I|PLA}} [[Central Guard Regiment]] (57003), under the Beijing Military Region and commanded by the {{I|CCP}} [[Central Military Commission]].

As the situation worsened in recent days, Beijing troops received reinforcements from regiments of the {{I|PLA}} [[Lanzhou Military Region]] (which controls the military districts of {{I|Shaanxi}} [[Shaanxi]], {{I|Gansu}} [[Gansu]], {{I|Qinghai}} [[Qinghai]], {{I|Ningxia}} [[Ningxia]], and {{I|Xinjiang}} [[Xinjiang]]):
*the {{I|PLA}} [[76th Group Army|21st Group Army]], a regiment of the Lanzhou Military Region, based in {{I|Baoji}} [[Baoji]] (Shaanxi),
*special units 84835 ({{I|Qingtongxia}} [[Qingtongxia]], Ningxia),
*units arriving from {{I|Hohhot}} [[Hohhot]] ({{I|InnerMongol}} [[Inner Mongolia]]),
*border guard regiments under the {{I|CCPolice}} [[Gonganbu|Ministry of Public Security]] (Gonganbu),
*the {{I|PLA}} [[205th Motorized Infantry Brigade|205th Brigade]], composed of {{I|EastTurk}} [[Uyghurs]] and {{I|Mongolia}} [[Mongols]],
*units of the {{I|PAP}} [[People's Armed Police]].</blockquote>

Around 4:00 AM, the student leaders put the question to a vote: whether to leave the square and give in to thew government or to stay and face the consequences. Armored troop transports crisscrossed the roads, firing ahead and to the sides. According to General {{I|France}} [[France|Henri Eyraud]], a former military attaché in China, there were even clashes (including artillery fire) between the 27th and 38th Armies. This reinforced the idea that the divisions within Chinese society also extended into the army. Reports indicate that the 27th and 28th units came from outside the region, as the local provincial PLA was considered {{I|Altruism}} [[Altruism|sympathetic]] to the protest movement and to the {{I|beijing}} [[Beijing|city]]'s population. The authors of these reports provide evidence supporting the claim that the 27th Army was primarily responsible for the civilian deaths. After 27th's assault on the square, the unit reportedly established defensive positions in Beijing — not intended to counter a {{I|AntiAuth}} [[Anti-Authoritarianism|civilian uprising]], but seemingly to protect themselves against possible attacks from other military units.

At 4:30 AM, protesters, joined by some {{I|PLA}} [[People's Liberation Army|PLA]] members, were given one hour to leave the Square, however five minutes later the {{I|PLA}} [[27th Group Army]], one of the most active units in the massacre, arrived with their armoured personnel carriers and opened fire before running the crowd over at 65 kph (40 mph). Students linked arms but were mown down. APCs then ran over the bodies time and time again, turning student corpses into a "paste", which were collected by bulldozer later that morning, incinerated, and then hosed down sewer drains with water jets. This was witnessed by ambassador {{I|UK}} [[United Kingdom|Alan Donald]]. The 27th Army was ordered to spare no one; wounded girl students begged for their lives but were bayoneted and a three-year-old girl was injured with her mother shot as she went to her aid (as were six others). 1,000 survivors were told they could escape but were then mown down from specially prepared machine gun positions.

{{I|BBC}} [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] reporter {{I|Noocracy}} [[Noocracy|Kate Adie]] spoke of "blind firing" in the square. Journalist {{I|Mediacracy}} [[Mediacracy|Charlie Cole]], an eyewitness to the events, also saw soldiers firing into the crowd with Type 56 assault rifles. Near a burning armored vehicle, its crew killed, many civilians were struck. Students who tried to take refuge in buses were dragged out by groups of soldiers and beaten with batons. Even those who tried to leave Tiananmen Square were besieged and beaten. The leaders, some of whom had attempted to erect makeshift barricades in front of the armored vehicles, begged the students not to use weapons (such as Molotov cocktails) against the soldiers. Meanwhile, many students reportedly shouted: "Why are you killing us?"

Army ambulances, who attempted to give aid, were shot up, as was a Sino-{{I|Japan}} [[Japan|Japanese]] hospital ambulance. With the medical crew dead, the wounded driver attempted to ram attackers but was blown to pieces by an anti-tank weapon. In another incident, a 27 Army officer shot dead by his own troops, apparently because he faltered. Troops explained they would be shot if they hadn't shot the officer.

Around 4:00 or 5:00 AM, Charlie Cole stated that he saw tanks entering the square, crushing vehicles and people indiscriminately. By 5:40, on the morning of 4th June, the square had been cleared.

===June Fifth & Onwards: Aftermath===
On the morning of June 5, demonstrators attempted to enter the square, which remained forbidden, and were shot by soldiers, who fired into their backs as they fled. These incidents were repeated several times. In the days that followed, the {{I|PLA}} [[People's Liberation Army|army]] occupied {{I|Beijing}} [[Beijing]], and sporadic clashes still took place at night. The student movement was also suppressed in the provinces, and a severe purge occurred throughout the country. The political cards in the {{I|CCP}} [[Chinese Communist Party|CCP]] were reshuffled, with {{I|JiangZemin}} [[Three Represents|Jiang Zemin]] promoted to lead the country by {{I|DengXiaoping}} [[Deng Xiaoping Thought|Deng Xiaoping]] due to his cruelty in suppressing dissent. 

The repression was immortalized in Western media through video footage and photographs that became famous, most famous being the "Tank Man" image taken on 5 June, which shows a lone man wearing a white shirt carrying two plastic bags while standing in front of a column of tanks at Chang'an Avenue (the Avenue of Eternal Peace). {{i|64}} [[Anti-Authoritarianism|Tank Man]] blocked the way of the tanks then climbed on top of them. His whereabouts are unknown, some say he was arrested while others said he fled to {{I|Taiwan}} [[Taiwan]]. {{I|Mediacracy}} [[Mediacracy|Charlie Cole]] believed that Tank Man was likely executed after being taken away by the {{I|CCPolice}} [[Ministry of State Security|secret police]] — a hypothesis supported by the fact that the Chinese government never produced him to silence the protests. {{I|Time}} [[Time]] magazine called him the "Unknown Rebel"; he was later named among the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. The {{I|UK}} [[United Kingdom|British]] tabloid {{I|DailyExpress}} [[Daily Express|Sunday Express]] reported that he was a 19-year-old student named Wang Weilin, though the truth of this claim is doubtful.

On 14 June, former president {{I|Reagan}} [[Reaganomics|Ronald Reagan]] commented on the massacre, saying that the "seeds of {{I|Dem}} [[democracy]]" has been planted.

The last official statement from the {{i|PRC}} [[People's Republic of China|PRC]] government on Tank Man came from Jiang Zemin during a 1990 interview with {{i|Mediacracy}} [[Mediacracy|Barbara Walters]]. Asked about his fate, Jiang replied that, in his view, the man had not been killed. In ''Red China Blues'' (1996), {{i|Mediacracy}} [[Mediacracy|Jan Wong]] wrote that the man was still alive and hiding in mainland China. In a 1999 speech at the president's club, {{I|Conservatism}} [[Conservatism|Bruce Herschensohn]], former special assistant to President {{I|Nixon}} [[Nixonism|Richard Nixon]] — stated that he had been executed 14 days later.

In an object lesson about the duplicity of {{i|Socialism}} [[Socialism|socialist]] slogans, buzzwords, and phrases geared toward seducing the youth and the naive — the Chinese "People's Liberation" Army killed 10,000 of China's own people. In fact, the PLA has killed more Chinese people than any foreign enemy in the PRC's entire history.

==Massacre Denial==
The {{I|PRC}} [[People's Republic of China|Chinese government]] denies the massacre ever happened. Their communist shills also repeat the same lie, claiming that the massacre didn't happen, or try to downplay it by saying "only 200 people died". These shills also claims that the local Chinese all agree that only few people died and it wasn't as bad as "Western propaganda" makes it out to be, but of course anyone who have saw the massacre and dared to speak about the truth would be censored.

===No One Died in Tiananmen Square?===
One of the ways the shills try to deny the massacre is by saying something like "no student died in Tiananmen Square" and therefore the idea of a "Tiananmen Square massacre" was null and void. This is semantic manipulation. It is true that more people died in the surrounding streets and areas, and that's why the massacre is more commonly known in {{i|ChineseL}} [[Chinese Language|Chinese]] as the "June Fourth Incident". 

Additionally, deniers will site many Western news and {{i|WikiLeaks}} [[WikiLeaks]] stating things like "the square was clear" and "no bloodshed in Tiananmen Square". The shills would then argue that there is no "Tiananmen Square massacre". But, people were killed in surrounding areas, and is that not a massacre still? And first, people did die in the square, according to witness accounts of people who were actually in the square and saw it firsthand. Unlike Western reporters who had a language barrier and possibly limited access to information in the following day, the Chinese were able to gather information from the deceased's family members, relatives, and fellow students. Due to this, the data is more complete in Chinese-speaking circles. 

Protest participator {{i|AntiAuth}} [[Anti-Authoritarianism|Tang Kai]] (唐恺) who was sitting at the stairs of the Monument to the People's Heroes (which was across the Tiananmen gate), said he saw bodies lying on the ground after {{i|PLA}} [[People's Liberation Army|soldiers]] came. He saw tanks, he saw the military men shooting at protestors when they refused to leave the Great Hall of the People. Reporter {{i|Mediacracy}} [[Mediacracy|Kate Adie]] was live at the square, and you could clearly hear gunshots in the background, further destroying the "no deaths in Tiananmen" myth. She also reported that most deaths happened off the streets near the square.

===Benevolent CCP Leaders?=== 
There is another CCP shill narrative that the CCP leaders at the time were {{i|BeneDic}} [[Benevolent Dictatorship|benevolent]] or nice. Shills claim that the CCP was trying to have conversations with the students, but it was the violent students that pushed and escalated things, and martial law was enacted because there was no other choice. This is simply not true. To claim that the CCP was gracious for allowing the students to talk with them is twisting the reality. The only person that wanted talks at the time, maybe a few others but not as straightforward, was {{i|Zhao}} [[Zhaoism|Zhao Ziyang]]. He was sympathetic to the students and wanted things to stop, basically he went against the orders of {{i|DengXiaoping}} [[Deng Xiaoping Thought|Deng Xiaoping]] who was very much calling for martial law and violence. Zhao's eventual demise and house arrest was because he supported the students.

Another thing the shills try to use is videos from the talks with {{i|LiPeng}} [[Li Peng Thought|Li Peng]] on May 18, and the students were rude. But, the Party had already decided what they were going to do, as in Deng's meeting with other CCP officials on the same day talking about needing to enact martial law, making the meeting with students pointless. It was true that at the time individual officials were reachable, but it was only the individual, not the whole government, and they just had to play into certain meetings for public image's sake. This was the last time officials met with the {{I|AntiAuth}} [[Anti-Authoritarianism|dissident]], minus the time in April 25 1999 when premier {{i|Zhu Rongji}} [[Zhu Rongji Thought|Zhu Rongji]] met with {{i|Falun Dafa}} [[Falun Gong]] adherents outside of Zhongnanhai. But after that, it was the end of this meeting with officials type of thing.

===Violent Students?===
Shills also say that the students were {{I|Aggression}} [[Aggressionism|violent]], they killed {{I|PLA}} [[People's Liberation Army|PLA]] soldiers, burned tanks, APCs, buses and stole weapons. One such example is a famous photo used by state media of a soldier lynched. However, witnesses accounts say that the lynched soldier got lost while firing at the students, and he took the lives of many residents. So, he got pelted by rocks and died. A photo was taken of him and used as "proof" that the students were murderers.

Most of the students were {{I|Pacifism}} [[Pacifism|nonviolent]]. They didn't have any weapons. This calls to the question, were there agents in disguise trying to escalate things? And were there situations of friendly fire, accidents, tragedies on the side of the soldiers that were being blamed on the protestors? It is very true that the students were angry that guns were being pointed at them and soldiers are willing to fire at them, their own people. A lot of local {{I|Beijing}} [[Beijing]] residents have also game out to support the students, some of them bought water, snacks, etc., and they were very much supporting the student's cause. So on the night of June 3rd, a lot of them came out to build barricades in order to protect the students. The barricades were smashed, and a lot of civilian casualties also occurred during this process. So, many photos the shills use are aftermath photos, so you really have no idea of what exactly happened. Just because we have burning images of the aftermath, it does not account for the real situation of the night. You can also find articles and interviews of individual soldiers who left {{I|PRC}} [[People's Republic of China|China]] to say that they were given real bullets on June 3rd.

Another image the shills use is one that was taken on June 10th, of a burnt person with a soldier cap on. It is strange that a cap was put on him, as we do not know if he was a soldier or protestor. The claim that soldiers were murdered by the protestors in the most horrible way possible is false. Of course, PLA casualties did happen, but most of it was trucks falling over, exploding, friendly fire, and all that is being blamed on the protestors whose casualties are way higher.

===Massive Censorship===
In the aftermath, the Chinese government implemented stringent measures to suppress information about the massacre. Censorship was imposed on media coverage, and discussions about the events were heavily restricted.

The {{I|CCP}} [[Chinese Communist Party]] tries to hide June 4th so hard and pretend nothing happened, it's kind of obvious that something happened on this day. For example, any reference to the number of "8964" or even just "6-4" on the Chinese internet will get you censored. Every year on June 4th, the Tiananmen Square would be closed, and they won't tell you the reason. And on that day, the CCP will station dozens of {{I|CCPolice}} [[People's Police of China|police]], in uniform as well as in civilian clothes, to guard the periphery of Tiananmen Square in order to prevent "troublemakers" honouring anybody's memory.

Every year, the entire {{I|GFW}} [[Great Firewall|Chinese internet]] pretends that June 4th didn't exist. Many video games will literally stop operating on June 4th, or they will censor content on that day. For example:
*If you try to send something like ¥0.64 on {{I|WeChat}} [[WeChat]] on that day, it wouldn't work saying that the "systems are busy, please try again later", but if you try to send any other amount like ¥0.63 it works perfectly. 
*The {{I|Germany}} [[Germany|German]] embassy account posted a video of a candle on that day, but it was immediately removed.
*Messages are sent to streamers telling them to be very careful to not mention the number "64" on that day wether it's product cost, barcode or anything else, because it's very "sensitive". 
*When you search for a tank emoji on that day, there's no results.
*The game World of Tanks is banned from being live streamed on that day.

==Quotes==
{{QuoteSlider
|s1={{QSfit|{{Quote|You cannot {{i|Genocide}} [[Genocide|massacre]] an idea, you cannot run {{i|Stratocracy}} [[Stratocracy|tanks]] over hope. You cannot riddle a people's yearning with bullets. Those heroic Chinese students who gave their lives have released the spirit of {{I|Dem}} [[democracy]] and it cannot be called back. That spirit is loose upon the {{i|Earth}} [[Earth|world]] this spring.|{{I|Reagan}} [[Reaganomics|Ronald Reagan]]}}}}

{{QSfit|{{Quote|The seeds of {{I|Dem}} [[democracy]] have been planted. It may take years or even decades before the people of these countries can sit in the shade of democracy, but sit in the shade of democracy they someday will.|{{I|Reagan}} [[Reaganomics|Ronald Reagan]]}}}}

|s2={{QSfit|{{Quote|I don't know if what you said is true or not, but that woman is a violent rioter. If it is true, she deserved it.|{{i|JiangZemin}} [[Three Represents|Jiang Zemin]]<ref>Jiang's response to a {{i|France}} [[France|French]] reporter when she asked about the story of a college student who, because of her involvement in the Tiananmen Square Protests, was transferred to a farm in {{i|PRC}} [[Sichuan]] to carry bricks from one place to another and was {{i|Rape}} [[Rapeism|raped]] repeatedly by the local peasants.</ref>}}}}
}}

==Relationships==
===Friends===
*{{i|Dem}} [[Democracy]] - May democracy live ten thousand years! 民主万岁！打到暴力！

===Enemies===
*{{i|Deng}} [[Dengism]] - {{i|Klep}} [[Kleptocracy|Corrupt]] tyrant who refuses to reform! It's your fault you can't handle criticism, it's your fault that you opened fire on us! Now you are desperately trying to paint us as {{i|Terrorism}} [[Terrorism|terrorists]], either that or deny the whole thing ever happened. And no way your shills are spreading bias and misinformation on the {{I|Wikipedia}} [[Wikipedia]] article too…
*{{i|Tyranny}} [[Tyranny]] - Strike down tyranny!
*{{i|CCPolice}} [[Police Statism]] - You couldn't suppress me so you had to call the {{i|PLA}} [[People's Liberation Army|military]]!
*{{I|JiangZemin}} [[Three Represents]] & {{I|LiPeng}} [[Li Peng Thought]] - The most vile of the butchers!
*{{i|Pinkie}} [[Pinkieism]] - No, I have nothing to do with the {{i|CIA}} [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]. Didn't you hear some of us sing the {{i|Commie}} [[Communism|Internationale]] and waving red flags? I wasn't even calling for the {{i|CCP}} [[Chinese Communist Party|CCP]] to step down, I simply wanted some change, but apparently that was too much for you.

==Songs==
===Flower of Freedom===
'''Flower of Freedom''' (自由花) is a {{I|CantoneseL}} [[Cantonese Language|Cantonese]] song written by {{I|Hong Kong}} [[Hong Kong|Thomas Chow]] to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. The song sets new lyrics to the melody of the {{I|Taiwan}} [[Taiwan|Taiwanese]] song "Sailor" (水手) by {{I|Taiwan}} [[Taiwan|Zheng Zhi-Hua]] (鄭智化). The song was also made in support of the {{I|HKASPDMC}} [[Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China]].

In 1993 HKASPDMC members demanded {{I|DemSoc}} [[Democratic Socialism|Wang Xizhe]]'s release and hummed the chorus of "Sailor" at a press conference. They later requested Thomas Chow to rewrite the lyrics, and that is how the song came to be.

Mainly before the so-called Hong Kong National Security Law took effect in 2020, {{I|Hong Kong}} [[Hong Kong]] sang this song in the evening of 4 June every year at Victoria Park, where candlelight vigils commemorates the massacre. The song was also often sung during Hong Kong's {{I|Umbrella}} [[Umbrella Movement|Umbrella Revolution]] in 2014.

<tabber>
|-|English= {{BigScroll|
Unforgettable, the years will not erode<br>
Deep in the heart, I always remember that year, that evening<br>
Once I felt sorrow, yet in the passage of time it turned into strength<br>
A bit of truth, an ideal, eternally sought<br>
Slowly, endlessly, moving forward without knowing fear<br>
All the thorns and brambles are cut away, no need to look too closely<br>
Rising and falling, yesterday’s crowd speaks not a word<br>
I don’t want to overanalyze, too much sincerity or pretense<br>
<br>
But there is a dream that will not die, remember it<br>
No matter how the rain falls, freedom will still bloom<br>
But there is a dream that will not die, remember it<br>
Coming from your heart and mine, remember it<br>
<br>
Unforgettable, leaving an immortal consciousness behind<br>
Deeply believing that it will always become real, some year, some evening<br>
Such a message still depends on you and me giving our all<br>
Add one more effort, and continue seeking this ideal<br>
Slowly, endlessly, moving forward without knowing fear<br>
All the thorns and brambles are cut away, no need to look too closely<br>
Rising and falling, yesterday’s crowd speaks not a word<br>
I don’t want to overanalyze, too much sincerity or pretense<br>
<br>
But there is a dream that will not die, remember it<br>
No matter how the rain falls, freedom will still bloom<br>
But there is a dream that will not die, remember it<br>
Coming from your heart and mine, remember it
}}
|-|Chinese={{BigScroll|
忘不了的　年月也不會蠶蝕<br>
心中深處始終也記憶那年那夕<br>
曾經痛惜　年月裏轉化為力<br>
一點真理　一個理想永遠地尋覓<br>
悠悠長長繼續前航不懂去驚怕<br>
荊荊棘棘通通斬去不必多看它<br>
浮浮沉沉昨日人群雖不說一話<br>
不想清楚分析太多真心抑意假<br>
<br>
但有一個夢　不會死　記著吧<br>
無論雨怎麼打　自由仍是會開花<br>
但有一個夢　不會死　記著吧<br>
來自你我的心　記著吧<br>
<br>
忘不了的　留下了不死意識<br>
深深相信始終會變真某年某夕<br>
如此訊息　仍賴你跟我全力<br>
加一把勁　將這理想繼續在尋覓<br>
悠悠長長繼續前航不懂去驚怕<br>
荊荊棘棘通通斬去不必多看它<br>
浮浮沉沉昨日人群雖不說一話<br>
不想清楚分析太多真心抑意假<br>
<br>
但有一個夢　不會死　記著吧<br>
無論雨怎麼打　自由仍是會開花<br>
但有一個夢　不會死　記著吧<br>
來自你我的心　記著吧
}}</tabber>

==How to draw==
{{Flag|64 flag.png|Anti-Authoritarian symbol with "64" written in Chinese}}
{{DrawDif|medium}}
# Draw a ball.
# Fill it with white.
# Add three black arrows pointing downwards, facing left.
# Add the Chinese characters 六四 beside the arrows.
# Add a red headband around the ball's top and a plastic bag on each side.
# Add Chinese eyes and you're done!
{{FlagColour
|c1= White
|h1= #FFFFFF
|c2= Black
|h2= #000000
}}

==Gallery==
<tabber>
|-|Informational=
<gallery widths=150>
Tiananmen map.jpeg|Map of the Tiananmen Square massacre
</gallery></tabber>

==Notes==
<references />

==Navigation==
{{Navbox/China}}

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:China]]
[[Category:Ideologies]]
[[Category:Regional Tendencies]]