11. Tiananmen Square Protests, 1989
One of the most famous protests that broke out in China, these student-led demonstrations started on 15th of April and, although disorganized, the common goals were government’s accountability, democracy, freedom of the press and that of speech. At its height, the Tiananmen Square in Beijing saw a million protestors assembled.
Unfortunately, as the protests continued to grow, the government declared martial law and used the People’s Liberation Army to launch an occupation of central Beijing.
In what came to be known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, armed troops open fired at the protestors with assault rifles and armoured tanks, especially at those who were trying to block the army’s advancement.
The bloody aftermath did bring about China’s policy of censorship that continues to this day.
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