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The events most often associated with the square occurred between April and June 1989.

In 1919, it was the site of the May Fourth Movement , a student-led protest against foreign imperialism that helped spark the Chinese Communist and Nationalist movements. ti_na_men_li

On the night of June 3 and the early hours of June 4, the People's Liberation Army advanced with tanks and armed troops to clear the square. The events most often associated with the square

The day after the crackdown, on June 5, 1989, an unidentified man famously stood alone in the middle of Chang’an Avenue to block a column of tanks. This image of became a global symbol of nonviolent resistance. The day after the crackdown, on June 5,

Protests began following the death of reformist leader Hu Yaobang . Mourning quickly evolved into a mass movement demanding freedom of the press, government accountability, and democratic reforms.

At its peak, nearly one million people —mostly students and workers—occupied the square. On May 20, the government declared martial law .