Following the sudden death of a beloved political reformer, Hu Yaobang, 200,000 students gathered at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, on April 22, 1989, to await the hearse carrying Hu’s body—but it never arrived. The mass of students were angered, and their burning desire for freedom could be contained no more.
For the next few weeks, Tiananmen Square was occupied by these student protesters, who aimed at making their dream of ridding the country of communist tyranny and bringing democratic reform to China a reality
Their nonviolent demonstration perhaps brought a glimmer of hope—until the army moved in. Martial law had been declared on May 20 that year, but what caused the army to suddenly go on a killing rampage on June 4?
