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  • Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    12:15:00 AM
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    The First Armored Personnel Vehicle Appeared On The Square From The West

    Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    12:15:00 AM

    At about 12:15 am, a flare lit up the sky and the first armored personnel vehicle appeared on the Square from the west.




  • Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    12:30:00 AM
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    Two APCs arrived From The South

    Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    12:30:00 AM

    At 12:30 am, two more APCs arrived from the South. The students threw chunks of concrete at the vehicles. One APC stalled, perhaps by metal poles jammed into its wheels, and the demonstrators covered it with gasoline-doused blankets and set it on fire. The intense heat forced out the three occupants, who were swarmed by demonstrators. The APCs had reportedly run over tents and many in the crowd wanted to beat the soldiers. But students formed a protective cordon and escorted the three men to the medic station by the History Museum on the east side of the Square.




  • Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    01:30:00 AM
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    The Army began To Seal off The Square From Reinforcements of Students and Residents

    Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    01:30:00 AM

    At about 1:30 am, the vanguard of the 38th Army and paratroopers from the 15th Airborne Corps arrived at the north and south ends of the Square, respectively. They began to seal off the Square from reinforcements of students and residents, killing more demonstrators who were trying to enter the Square. Meanwhile, the 27th and 65th Armies poured out of the Great Hall of the People to the west and the 24th Army emerged from behind the History Museum to the east. The remaining students, numbering several thousand, were completely surrounded at the Monument of the People's Heroes in the center of the Square.




  • Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    02:00:00 AM
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    The Troops fired shots over the heads of The Students at The Monument

    Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    02:00:00 AM

    At 2 am, the troops fired shots over the heads of the students at the Monument. The students broadcast pleadings back toward the troops: "We entreat you in peace, for democracy and freedom of the motherland, for strength and prosperity of the Chinese nation, please comply with the will of the people and refrain from using force against peaceful student demonstrators".




  • Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    02:30:00 AM
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    The Workers tried to take Revenge

    Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    02:30:00 AM

    At about 2:30 am, several workers near the Monument emerged with a machine gun they had captured from the troops and vowed to take revenge. They were persuaded to give up the weapon by Hou Dejian. The workers also handed over an assault rifle without ammunition, which Liu Xiaobo smashed against the marble railings of the Monument.




  • Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    03:30:00 AM
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    Hou Dejian and Zhuo Tuo agreed to try to negotiate with the soldiers

    Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    03:30:00 AM

    At 3:30 am, at the suggestion of two doctors in the Red Cross camp, Hou Dejian and Zhuo Tuo agreed to try to negotiate with the soldiers. They rode in an ambulance to the northeast corner of the Square and spoke with Ji Xinguo, the political commissar of the 38th Army's 336th Regiment, who relayed the request to command headquarters, which agreed to grant safe passage for the students to the southeast. The commissar told Hou, "it would be a tremendous accomplishment, if you can persuade the students to leave the Square.




  • Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    04:00:00 AM
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    The Government's loudspeaker announced The beginning of the Clearance of the Square

    Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    04:00:00 AM

    At 4 am, the lights on the Square suddenly turned off, and the government's loudspeaker announced: "Clearance of the Square begins now. We agree with the students' request to clear the Square." The students sang The Internationale and braced for a last stand. Hou returned and informed student leaders of his agreement with the troops.


  • Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    04:30:00 AM
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    The Lights were opened

    Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    04:30:00 AM

    At 4:30 am, the lights relit and the troops began to advance on the Monument from all sides.


  • Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    04:32:00 AM
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    Hou Dejian took the Student's Loudspeaker and recounted his meeting with the Military

    Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    04:32:00 AM

    At about 4:32 am, Hou Dejian took the student's loudspeaker and recounted his meeting with the military. Many students, who learned of the talks for the first time, reacted angrily and accused him of cowardice.


  • Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    04:35:00 AM
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    A Squad of Soldiers in camouflaged uniform charged up the monument and shot out the students' loudspeaker

    Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    04:35:00 AM

    The soldiers initially stopped about 10 meters from the students. Feng Congde took to the loudspeaker and explained that there was no time left to hold a meeting. Instead, a voice vote would decide the collective action of the group. Although the vote's results were inconclusive, Feng said the "gos" had prevailed. Within a few minutes, at about 4:35 am, a squad of soldiers in camouflaged uniform charged up the Monument and shot out the students' loudspeaker. Other troops beat and kicked dozens of students at the Monument, seizing and smashing their cameras and recording equipment. An officer with a loudspeaker called out "you better leave or this won't end well."


  • Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    05:10:00 AM
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    The Students began to leave the Monument

    Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    05:10:00 AM

    At about 5:10 am, the students began to leave the Monument. They linked hands and marched through a corridor to the southeast, though some departed through the north. Those who refused to leave were beaten by soldiers and ordered to join the departing procession.


  • Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    06:00:00 AM
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    Three tanks pursued a convoy of students from the square

    Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    06:00:00 AM

    Just past 6 am on June 4, as a convoy of students who had vacated the Square were walking westward in the bicycle lane along Chang'an Avenue back to campus, three tanks pursued them from the Square, firing tear gas and one drove through the crowd, killing 11 students, injuring scores.


  • Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    07:00:00 AM
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    The Soldiers were allowed a Short Reprieve

    Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    07:00:00 AM

    Having removed the students from the square, soldiers were ordered to relinquish their ammunition, after which they were allowed a short reprieve from 7 am to 9 am.


  • Chengdu, Sichuan, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    The Police forcibly broke up the student demonstration

    Chengdu, Sichuan, China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989

    On the morning of 4 June, police forcibly broke up the student demonstration taking place in Chengdu's main square. The resulting violence killed eight people, and injured hundreds.


  • China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989
    1989 Tiananmen Square protests

    The End of a period of relative press freedom in china

    China
    Sunday Jun 4, 1989

    The suppression on June 4 marked the end of a period of relative press freedom in China and media workers—both foreign and domestic—faced heightened restrictions and punishment in the aftermath of the crackdown. State media reports in the immediate aftermath were sympathetic to the students. As a result, those responsible were all later removed from their posts.


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