what happened in tiananmen square 1989

In 1989, Tiananmen Square in Beijing became the site of large-scale protests, which were crushed by Chinas Communist rulers. The protests were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China, lasting from 15 April to 4 June 1989. The protests were precipitated by the death of pro-reform Chinese Communist Party (CCP) general secretary Hu Yaobang in April 1989 amid the backdrop of rapid economic development and social change in post-Mao China, reflecting anxieties among the people and political elite about the countrys future. After weeks of unsuccessful attempts between the demonstrators and the Chinese government to find a peaceful resolution, the Chinese government declared martial law on the night of 3 June and deployed troops to occupy the square in what is referred to as the Tiananmen Square massacre. Military units were brought in, and unarmed protesters and onlookers were killed en masse. The Chinese government has never acknowledged the true events surrounding the Tiananmen massacre, and it remains a contentious topic in China, with authorities banning all mention of the protest even today. The exact number of people who died in the protests is unknown, but it is estimated to be in the hundreds or thousands.