It's June 4 right now in Beijing. 19 years ago today, the Chinese government killed hundreds--possibly thousands--of peaceful protesters in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, using tanks and massive gunfire to clear the public square after a seven week peaceful sit-in.
The action was internationally condemned, including by U.S. President Bush (the First) and U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
19 years later, today, Beijing prepares to host the Summer Games of the Olympics. As of February, news reports estimated up to 2 million displaced from their homes and up to 400,000 arrested for protesting the destruction of their homes. 200 who chained themselves to their homes to protest removal were sent to "labor re-education camps" for five weeks.
Video of 4 June 1989 from CBC:
Video of 4 June 1989 from BBC:
Jun 3, 2008
19 years ago today...
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