On June 3-4, 1989, the Tian An Men Square massacre took place, in a number of major Chinese cities including Shanghai, Bejing, and others.
A vaguely pro-freedom, pro-market government official, Hu Yaobang, died on April 15, 1989. Students began holding memorials for Hu in many cities. They grew in volume, changing into protests against an oppressive Chinese government, and culminating in mass demonstrations in early June.
On the night of June 3-4, the government cracked down, raiding many of the demonstrations across China. The number killed is not clear, ranging from 300 to 1,000 civilians dead, with some estimate as high as 2,600. Tanks entered the main square in Beijing, and an American photographer snapped a famous picture of a Chinese man with a briefcase standing in front of oncoming tanks, which fortunately stopped.
No photos came from the other cities in which the Chinese government opened fire on students on other protestors.
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