The Tiananmen Square Massacre

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Twenty five years ago, almost one million protesters, many of which were students, crowded the streets of Tiananmen Square; however, they were unaware of the tragic consequences they would be forced to face only a few weeks later. The group of protesters held daily vigils, marched, and chanted for three weeks, and then armed Chinese troops stormed through the square. Many of the student protesters tried to escape, however there were a few who chose to fight back against the Chinese forces. According to Marquand, “The victims were not only students, but ordinary people who were outraged that the soldiers of a people’s army had been given warrant to shoot the people” (Hay 47). The Tiananmen Square Massacre remains a significant historical event because it was the first major pro-democracy protest in China, and the incident ignited similar protests across the country.
The events before, during, and after the massacre were both inspiring and tragic. In mid-May 1989, three weeks before the heartbreaking Tiananmen Square Massacre, nearly one million protesters gathered into the square. Most of the pro-democracy protesters were young students. This was the first of three main events that took place during the incident. The next major occurrence took place when the Chinese government sent tanks into Central Beijing. In early June, Chinese troops and security
Chester 2 police charged through central Beijing aimlessly firing into the group of protesters. Most of the young protesters tried to escape, however a few attempted to fight back. “I couldn’t believe that the students were so brave. They rushed at the vehicles. Many were killed” (Hay 142). The cruel killing of the protesters was the final event of the massacre.
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...ssion, also an effect of the brutal killings in Tiananmen Square, occurred in Chicago. Thousands of students from universities in the Midwest marched in this fake procession to mourn the loss of the Chinese protesters.
The protest that occurred in Central Beijing had effects in China as well as many other countries, and it reflected the discontent of the Chinese people toward their government. The Tiananmen Square Massacre was a tragic event, nevertheless it must be remembered in order to prevent similar events from arising in the future.

Works Cited
Hay, Jeff, ed. The Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989. Detroit: Gale Cenage Learning, 2010. Print.
Szczepanski, Kallie. "The Tiananmen Square Massacre, 1989." About.com. About.com, 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
"Tiananmen Square Massacre Takes Place." This Day in History. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.

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