The Tiananmen Square Protests

This e-single, comprised of articles curated from the New York Times archive, features Tiananmen Square, in Beijing, which became the site of the largest pro-democracy movement in China in the 20th century. It began with the April 1989 death of party leader Hu Yaobang, which triggered weeks of massive protests. More than a million people filled the streets of Beijing, criticizing corruption and demanding more of the democracy that Hu had come to symbolize. In the early hours of June 4, the tanks of the People's Liberation Army rolled toward Tiananmen Square and troops fired on the crowds, killing hundreds and wounding thousands.