April 18th. During Hu Yaobang’s memorial, a couplet on the wall of the People’s University lampooned the communist bureaucracy: “Seeking not accomplishment, but faults free, one shall achieve immortality”; “Be an obedient bureaucrat rather than a bureaucrat of integrity and has one’s young life cut short”.
April 20th. The first march organized by the Beijing University Student Union Preparation Committee, protesting the violent acts of the army and police the night before at the gate of Xinhua Men. The Beijing University Student Union Preparation Committee was formed only a day before.
April 22nd. Students from various universities of Beijing participated in Hu Yaobang’s memorial service held on the Tiananmen Square. Afterwards, they issued a petition of seven points. This picture shows students from the University of Public Administration and Law participating in Hu Yaobang’s memorial service. The backdrop shows article 35 of the Chinese Constitution and Hu’s picture.
The April 27th march was a protest to the April 26th editorial. More than a million students and citizens took part in this march. The impact of this march was so high that it was beyond anyone’s estimation. The Chinese authority was forced to reconsider and to avoid violent suppression. Banners among marchers include: “Long live democracy, long live the people”; “Long live to the integrity of the Chinese Communist Party”
May 4th. In Shanghai, all universities jointly launched the grand demonstration in commemorating the May 4th anniversary, with tens of thousands participating. Up to ten thousand students started sit-in, following the demonstration, in front of the Shanghai municipal government, demanding dialogue on “Students’ Manifesto”, with Jiang Zemin, the Party Secretary General of Shanghai. A female student was shown in the photo announcing the “Manifesto” in front of the municipal government.
May 4th. A senior professor, who participated in the May 4th Movement seventy years ago, was speaking to the crowd in support of the students’ petition in front of the Shanghai municipal government.
May 15th. Students on the Tiananmen Square in the morning next day after the hunger strike began. Participants of the hunger strike rose swiftly from 800 to 3,000.
May 15th. “Mom, I am hungry. But I can’t eat” as read on a tent on the Tiananmens Square.
May 15th. Pupils went to streets to supporting the just actions of big brothers and sisters, and they carried signs that read “down with corruption”.
May 17th. Medics rushed a student from Tiananmen Square after he collapsed on the third day of their hunger strike.
May 17th. Common ground could be found between the most traditional and most modern Chinese on the Tiananmen square. A monk was shown in the photo making a speech in support of students on the square.
May 24th. Voice of the Student, the broadcast station at the base of “the Monument of the Martyrs”.
May 26th. Student leader Zhang Jian, from Beijing College of Athletic Education, fell in sleep out of fatigue at a rock-n-roll concert performed by Cui Jian. Zhang was shot with three bullets while he was at the northwest corner of the Tiananmen Square at the dawn of June 4th. He was rescued and survived. He hid his identity for twelve years and went a long way finally abroad to France. There still is one bullet left in his body.
On May 28th, Chinese marched globally. Students in Beijing commemorated the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution, demanding the government to dismiss the implementation of the martial law and removing Premier Li Peng from his position.
May 28th. Hong Kong students joined the grand march in Beijing.
June 4th. In the Tiananmen Square, students were carrying their bullet wounded classmates to hospitals for emergency resuscitation.
June 4th. A rickshaw driver fierce y paddled the wounded people with the help of bystanders to a nearby hospital. Soldiers again fired hundreds of rounds towards angry crowds gathered outside Tiananmen Square.
Many June 4th victim died of being shot by Dumdum bullets, which were prohibited internationally. Recently military surgeon Dr. Jiang Yanyong confirmed that the troops used the Dumdum bullets in the crack-down.
Where there is oppression, there will be revolt. The morning of June 4th, 1989, soldiers were still shooting on the Chang An Street. Citizens of Beijing fought back heroically. The picture shows a few bullet wounded citizens lying in the Chang An Street and others were helping the wounded.
June 7th. Crowds of curious Being residents gather to look at the military hardware in Tiananmen Square Wednesday.
On June 9th, Deng Xiaoping, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, met with army and higher commanders from the martial law enforcement troops, showing that the situation was under his control.
