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Tiananmen Square crackdown 30th anniversary

China was gripped by a pro-democracy movement in 1989, triggered by the death of reformist ex-leader Hu Yaobang. Mass street protests, weeks-long sit-ins and hunger strikes at Tiananmen Square by students and residents became the order of the day as demonstrators complained about corruption and demanded greater democracy as well as government transparency. The social unrest culminated in a brutal military crackdown on June 4 ordered by Beijing that effectively ended the movement and continues to be the subject of great controversy to this day.

last updated:

9 September, 2024

Tiananmen Square crackdown 30th anniversary

Tiananmen Square 30th anniversary vigil in Hong Kong – as it happened

Organisers claim turnout exceeds 2012 and 2014 peaks but police estimate crowd was 37,000 at most

Quiet reminders of Tiananmen in China’s capital of forgetting

Exclusive | How Tiananmen crackdown left a deep scar on China’s military psyche

China hits back over Pompeo’s attack on human rights record

Pompeo’s criticisms of ‘dark chapter in history’ echoed by European diplomats who urge Beijing to allow its citizens to mark the occasion.

Hong Kong braces for big crowds and high emotions as June 4 vigil looms

Organisers expect as many as 180,000 people, as 30th anniversary of Tiananmen coincides with fury over fugitive bill.

Washington Tiananmen vigil attracts first-timers for 30th anniversary

Biggest turnout in years for candlelight commemoration outside Chinese embassy and, for many, it is the first time they have spoken of the events of June 4, 1989.

Journalist finds Hong Kong activist he filmed at Tiananmen 30 years ago

Arthur Kent, a freelancer working in Beijing during the protests, reconnected with student leader Kenneth Lam, whom he had lost sight of after the square was cleared.

Twitter apologises over blocked accounts ahead of Tiananmen anniversary

Company says ‘a number of accounts’ were suspended as part of efforts to target those engaging in ‘platform manipulation’ – and some ‘were involved in commentary about China’.

Tiananmen Square dissident refused entry to Hong Kong

Former student leader had arrived from Tokyo for events marking 30th anniversary of crackdown.

Singer disappears as China tightens grip ahead of Tiananmen anniversary

Artist’s tour was cancelled, his social media accounts taken down and music removed from streaming sites before he vanished from public view.

Tiananmen Square protester turned lawyer killed in his New York office

Arrest made over the stabbing of Li Jinjin, who had settled in the US after being jailed in China for joining the 1989 protests.

Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil banned on Covid-19 grounds

Also banned last year amid coronavirus concerns, the only large-scale commemoration of the 1989 crackdown on Chinese soil still drew a crowd of thousands.

Post wins online award for protests, Covid-19, Tiananmen anniversary coverage

Judges from the Online Journalism Awards praise the newspaper’s use of interactive multimedia content and in-depth analysis to tell biggest stories of the year.

Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen vigil organisers, Lai face incitement charges: police source

The case, which will go to court on June 23, stems from a crowd of thousands turning out in defiance of a ban on the yearly candlelight gathering.

Low-key ceremony as purged reformer Zhao Ziyang is finally laid to rest

Ashes of former leader who opposed Tiananmen crackdown and his wife, Liang Boqi, buried in cemetery on outskirts of Beijing after protracted negotiations between family and the party.

From Apple to the NBA: the brands that have bowed to China

Apple pulled a controversial app, Activision Blizzard sacked a gamer and Versace, Coach and Givenchy all pulled T-shirts that were ‘offensive’ to China

Letters | Is Hong Kong the new Tiananmen Square?

The 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, rather than the extradition bill, may have triggered Hong Kong’s protests. Beijing has underestimated the protesters’ resolve and failed to fully understand their motives

Four reasons Beijing will never cave in to Hong Kong protesters’ demands

The leaders of China’s Communist Party learned from both Tiananmen and the fall of the Soviet Union not to give in. The mainland Chinese public also appears to have little sympathy for Hongkongers, which will free Beijing’s hand to act decisively.

Opinion | Li Peng, the one who took the fall for his more charismatic boss

Li’s arrogance made him easy to hate in 1989, but he was picked on because his boss Deng Xiaoping had a no-nonsense manner that intimidated even rebels.

Editorial | Controversy follows Li Peng to his grave

Tiananmen Square crackdown defined career of late premier, who was also instrumental in building the contentious Three Gorges Dam

Li Peng, technocrat ‘communist warrior’ who rose to top in chaotic times

Li became premier as conservatives and reformists fought over country’s direction in 1980s and 90s, and oversaw Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Former Chinese premier Li Peng dies, aged 90

Known in China as a ‘loyal communist warrior’, Li is also remembered abroad as the ‘Tiananmen Butcher’ for his hardline backing of the crackdown on student-led protests in 1989.

Review | Endless nightmares, ruined lives: the Tiananmen legacy

Poet Liao Yiwu’s searing account of what happened in Beijing on June 4, 1989, and its lasting impact, doggedly collected from witnesses, demands attention; he is unsparing in his criticism of decision-makers, and of ordinary Chinese for their passivity.

Letters | Hong Kong government has failed to make people feel protected

Tiananmen exiles seek UN investigation into 1989 crackdown

Protest leader Wang Dan and other activists submit complaint to Human Rights Council.

Sino File | In world’s largest game of chicken, neither Trump nor Xi can blink

Neither side can afford a trade war – and neither side can afford to back down.

Letters | Keeping the memory of Tiananmen alive: Hong Kong should be proud

Year after year, Hongkongers put their personal problems aside for one night to ensure Tiananmen of June 4, 1989 is not forgotten

Artist Ma Desheng on Tiananmen, freedom and painting stones

Ma Desheng is a co-founder of the Stars Group, self-taught rebels exploring alternatives to Socialist art. Last week he gave a performance at his solo exhibition in Hong Kong as a tribute to the Tiananmen Mothers.

Editorial | Tiananmen vigil message wins in numbers game

The discrepancy in attendance figures provided by organisers of the annual memorial and police is nothing new.

Tiananmen vigil yielded record donations this year, organisers say

Lee Cheuk-yan of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China said the public contributed HK$2.7 million on Tuesday night.

Canada voices ‘real concern’ about human rights in China

Prime Minister Trudeau’s remarks were ‘gross accusations’, Chinese embassy says – Canada’s foreign ministry calls on Beijing to ‘break silence’ on events of June 1989.

‘Tank Man’ statue rises in US park as activists gather to mourn, remember

Chinese sculptor Chen Weiming is a driving force behind annual anniversary events as well as the park, which he bought with fellow activists in 2015.

For Pelosi, it’s personal: US Speaker blasts China’s ‘moral injustices’

To Nancy Pelosi, whose advocacy of human rights in China is long-standing, the US must remember the protesters ‘because China still shamefully tries to hide the history of the atrocity it inflicted on its own people’.

Hong Kong keeps flame alive in ‘record’ Tiananmen vigil

Larger numbers and high emotions attributed to controversy over government’s extradition bill, with organisers saying more than 180,000 people showed up.

Cartoonist Badiucao drops mask to mark anniversary of Tiananmen crackdown

Baduciao says he and his family have been under threat since being forced by Chinese authorities to cancel Hong Kong show last year.