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Tiananmen Square Protests Begin
Over 1,000 university students gather outside the Great Hall of the People. A few of the students insist on meeting Li Peng, which does not happen. Students then take to boycotting classes, and form student unions; an illegal act in China. -
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Tiananmen Square
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Students Press On
Thousands of students march into the square to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the 1919 "May Fourth Movement", which also occurred there. The students stated they would be returning to class but instead continued protesting. -
Hunger Strike
160 students begin a hunger strike in the square, citing the government's failure to respond to their requests and anticipating Mikhail Gorbachev's visit; the Soviet Party Secretary. -
Face Value
The hunger strike forced the Chinese government to cancel their original plans of welcoming Gorbachev in Tiananmen Square. Gorbachev arrives in Beijing for the first Sino-Soviet summit since 1959. -
PLA Deployed to Beijing
Soldiers are deployed to Beijing to occupy the streets. The PLA soldiers are under strict orders that even if provoked, they are not allowed to open fire on civilians. PLA forces occupied the city for 3 days just to leave and prove to be a waste of time and an embarrassment. -
A Moment of Awe
Around midday, a convoy of armed T-59 tanks were moving down Chang'an Boulevard towards Tiananmen Square when a young, male civilian steps out in front of the tank convoy. Instead of running him over, the tank tries to move past him to no avail. The man steps in front of the tank again. This is repeated for a number of times until the tank stops and cuts the engine. The man climbs on top of the tank and speaks to the driver then climbs down. He then goes to the side of the road and disappears.