Tiananmen Square Incident

Beijing University students gather around the Heroes' monument in Tiananmen Square to mourn the death of Hu Yaobang, who had stepped down from his position as General Secretary, because of issues regarding his more liberal approach to politics.

A Beijing University Student stated: “Hu Yaobang’s death is not the reason for this demonstration. It is the excuse.”
Thousands of students march through the capital to mourn the death of Hu Yaobang, but also to call for a more democratic government.
Once the students begin to clash with the guards blocking the entrance of the Zhongnanhai compound (houses many government officials), they are advised that their protests would no longer be allowed.
By April 22, the number of students rallying rose to 70,000. Their sheer numbers were enough to overcome the government's attempts to block their rallies. The students were able to force their way into the Zhongnanhai compound, and after their rioting, where they had burned 20 houses and injured 130 officers, no one was reported dead, and only 18 protestors were arrested.
By April 27, their numbers rise to 150,000, and instead of violence, they all link their arms together and sing revolutionary songs in the square. In an interview, a student admitted: "I don't know exactly what democracy is, but we need more of it."

Prime Minister Li Peng and other officials go to Chairman of the CPC Military Commission Deng Xioaping’s home to report on student demonstrations.
During this meeting Chairman Deng Xiaoping stated that: “This is no ordinary student movement. The students have been raising a ruckus for ten days now, and we’ve been tolerant and restrained… they want to confuse the people and throw the country into chaos. This is a well-planned plot whose real aim is to reject Chinese Communist Party and the socialist system at the most fundamental level.”

The People's Daily publishes an editorial accusing protestors of plotting to create turmoil aimed at overthrowing the communist regime.
The author wrote about how the government should aim to "make perfect our socialist democracy and our legal system under the party leadership" -- an argument staunchly against the protestors.

The students gain popularity and support while their "gongzilian" party organization gains "legal" recognition (not truly legal, but the students and workers themselves recognized it as legal).
Headlines such as: "Resolute Student Protestors Now the Pride of Beijing," and "Hunger Strikers, Heart of China Protest" published in New York Times during this period.

While the hunger strikers spent most of their striking time sleeping due to weakness, their steadfastness demonstrated their dedication to their cause.
Martial Law declared on May 20, and when troops were called into the capital, tens of thousands of Beijing citizens left their homes to block the troops from reaching the student demonstrators. It was then discovered that Zhao Ziyang had been stripped of all his powers as General Secretary.
A few days after the martial law was declared, a young worker shouted: "We must resort to a strike to rouse the Government. The power really lies in the people. China must no longer be controlled and manipulated by one man."
May 27: Chinese students call for an end to their occupation of Tiananmen Square, but stated that they would continue to stage demonstrations in favor of democracy and the resignation of Prime Minister Li Peng.
The students continue to demonstrate until they are put down forcibly by the military.

The students who decide to go on a hunger strike to prove their loyalty to their cause are supported by citizens of Beijing who bring them food and water to keep them from losing their health.

Sent from State Security Ministry to Party Central and State Council duty offices:
"Today, more than one thousand students began a hunger strike in the Square. About twenty thousand students and citizens looked on during the day, and this number grew to one hundred thousand in the evening... The striking students were regularly supplied with drinking water, soda, sugar and medicine. By 10PM more than a dozen of them had fainted or stopped their fast, but it hasn't worked. The Square is so crowded -- all kinds of people milling about with their slogans and banners -- that the student representatives themselves say they have no real control of things."

Students occupy Beijing’s central square to hold their own welcoming ceremony for Gorbachev.
100,000 workers and students gather again to grieve their demands for more democracy and less corruption.

In this meeting, Bo Yibo, the Vice Chairman of the Central Advisory Commission, states: “It was no accident that the student movement turned into turmoil”
Additionally, Li Peng met with students, and stated that no one had claimed that the majority of the students had created turmoil, but that it had been created nonetheless. In response, a student leader stated that the only way to get the students out of the square would be to classify their actions as patriotic and televise student leader speeches and interviews.

In an attempt to quell the protestors, and knowing his time as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China was coming to an end, Secretary Zhao Ziyang stated: "We demonstrated and lay across railroad tracks when we were young, too, and took no thought for the future. But I have to ask you to think carefully about the future. Many issues will be resolved eventually. I beg you to end the hunger strike."