Timeline: The Tiananmen Massacre

4 Jun 2009, 11:10 am   -   Source: AFP
0 Comments
Share This
+ Comment
0
The iconic image of a lone protester standing in front of Chinese tanks (AP)

The iconic image of a lone protester standing in front of Chinese tanks (AP)

Here is a timeline of the main events of the Tiananmen Square massacre, sparked by the death of a popular Communist Party reformer.

In April 1989, young Chinese with dreams of democracy staged an unprecedented wave of protests after the death of former Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang, a popular reformer.

The Tiananmen movement lasted six weeks before being violently quashed by the army, leaving hundreds, and possibly thousands, dead.

Here is a timeline of the main events:

April 1989

- 15: Death of Hu Yaobang, who had been dismissed two years earlier.

- 17: First student protest on Tiananmen Square, to lay a wreath in honour of Hu, adorned with pro-democracy slogans.

- 18: The students issue a list of demands to the government that includes freedom of speech and democratic elections.

- 22: Hu's official funeral takes place at the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square, where 200,000 students are gathered.

- 25: Deng Xiaoping, the Chinese leader, says the protest movement seeks to topple the Communist Party -- a claim that forms the basis of an explosive editorial in the official People's Daily newspaper the next day.

- 27: Huge student demonstrations take place in Beijing, and protests erupt across the country, including in towns that had been calm until that time.

May

- 4: The anniversary of the patriotic movement of May 4, 1919 triggers a new mass demonstration in Beijing and in 50 other towns. The head of the Communist Party, Zhao Ziyang, urges dialogue.

- 13: Students launch the occupation of Tiananmen Square and a hunger strike.

- 15: A historic visit by then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for the normalisation of Sino-Soviet ties is completely disrupted.

- 17: About 1.2 million students, workers, civil servants, and intellectuals protest in Beijing. Major demonstrations take place in most provinces across the country.

- 18: The conservative Prime Minister Li Peng attempts to start a dialogue with student leaders.

- 19: Zhao goes to Tiananmen Square, and pleads with the hunger strikers to leave, with tears in his eyes. It is his last public appearance.

- 20: Martial law is declared, and army troops that are summoned either stop or are stopped by barricades.

- 26: Zhao is purged from the Communist leadership, and put under house arrest on the 28th.

- 29: Fine arts students erect a statue -- the 'Goddess of Democracy' -- in front of the portrait of Mao Zedong, the founder of communist China, on the square, where students are growing tired and divided.

June

- 1st: An official report brings up for the first time the notion of a "counter-revolutionary riot."

- 2: The Communist Party's leadership decides to clear the square.   

- 3: Students and citizens block military vehicles at Beijing's major intersections. That night, messages broadcast by loudspeaker call on the population to clear the roads. The students equip themselves with sticks and makeshift weapons.

- June 3-4: The army evacuates Tiananmen Square without firing shots. Soldiers flanked by tanks open fire elsewhere. Fighting on roads ensues. Hundreds, and possibly thousands, are killed.

- 5-20: China is widely condemned abroad and is targeted with sanctions.

- 24: Jiang Zemin, the future Chinese president, is officially made General Secretary of the Communist Party, replacing Zhao.

 

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube

Join the Discussion

Name
City / Suburb E.g. Artarmon, Sydney
Title
Comment
You have characters remaining.
Validation
What's this?
This is a captcha-picture. It is used to prevent mass-access by robots.
All submitted comments become the property of SBS. They are moderated, so we reserve the right to edit comments and remove HTML tags. Not all submitted comments will be published. Publication does not mean we endorse the opinions expressed. Please read our terms and conditions for more information.