The Atlantic
Date: Jun 4, 2014
By: Alan Taylor
Twenty-five years ago today, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) violently cleared Beijing’s Tiananmen Square of protesters, ending a six-week demonstration that had called for democracy and widespread political reform. The protests began in April of 1989, gaining support as initial government reactions included concessions. Martial law was declared on May 20, troops were mobilized, and from the night of June 3 through the early morning of June 4, the PLA pushed into Tiananmen Square, crushing some protesters and firing on many others. The exact number killed may never be known, but estimates range from several hundred to several thousand. China’s censors are blocking Internet access to the terms “six four,” “candle,” and “never forget,” broadening extensive efforts to silence talk about the 25th anniversary of China’s bloody June 4 crackdown. Here is that story, in images and words. (Most of this photo essay was previously published on In Focus)
A Chinese man stands alone to block a line of tanks heading east on Beijing’s Cangan Boulevard in Tiananmen Square, on on June 5, 1989. The man, calling for an end to violence and bloodshed against pro-democracy demonstrators, was pulled away by bystanders, and the tanks continued on their way.
