Disclaimer: The following blog post is not a reflection of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s opinion on the below topics.
The first whispers of the Tiananmen Square protests began in April 1989 when Hu Yaobang, the former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, died of a heart attack.[1] As a beloved symbol of “anti-corruption and political reform”[2], Yaobang’s death revealed discontent felt by many Chinese citizens. On April 17th, 1989, a memorial march for the former secretary commenced, and university students began to chant their grievances: “Overthrow corrupt officials”, “Long live democracy”, “Long live freedom!”[3] They were able to utilize the momentum following Hu Yaobang’s death to express their dissatisfaction with the government’s current leadership. For the next 48 days, the world watched as protests against the Chinese Communist Party permeated Beijing. Despite protesters’ peaceful calls for democracy, the Chinese government responded with a massacre that shocked the world.
On April 22nd, students from Peking University delivered a petition on the steps of the government’s Great Hall of the People. The petition consisted of seven demands and included requests to “allow independent newspapers; end press censorship, increase education budgets and raise intellectuals’ salaries, and rescind the Beijing People’s Congress’s unconstitutional ‘ten articles’ restricting demonstrations.”[4] Within these demands were calls for free speech, democracy, and political change.[5] Above all, they were fighting for an end to government corruption.[6]
The protesters used a variety of well-established and creative nonviolent protest tactics, including civil disobedience and strategies that were specific to Chinese history. Craig Calhoun’s book, Neither Gods nor Emperors: Students and the Struggle for Democracy in China, emphasizes the movement’s roots in Chinese traditions by asserting that “students echoed and played with old slogans, protest themes, and national concerns.”[7] For instance, the long-held practice of kneeling, which was viewed as a symbol of respect in Chinese culture, became a continual tactic of the movement. Students adopted this gesture to showcase their connection to Chinese customs and to appear non-threatening. This was specifically utilized when students knelt before the Great Hall of the People to present their petition on April 22nd.[8]
Moreover, students adopted “L’Internationale” as a protest song to express their grievances.[9] “L’Internationale” was sung as a protest anthem during the Chinese Communist Revolution (1927-1949), and protesters in 1989 strategically sang it to promote unity and to highlight the hypocrisy of the Chinese government. Their song choice also showcases their embrace of resistance strategies that played a significant role in Chinese history.
The movement also incorporated familial language into their nonviolent protests to humanize their cause and encourage solidarity. Protesters specifically employed these tactics with soldiers in Tiananmen Square. They would call them by family names, feed them, give them water, and even attempt to convince them to join their cause.[10] One woman pleaded with a group of soldiers in the PBS documentary film The Tank Man, telling them, “Brother soldiers, you should be defenders of the people.”[11] Some protesters even brought their children to the demonstrations to ask, “How are you, uncle soldier?”[12]
Erecting the Goddess of Democracy Statue was another fascinating nonviolent protest technique. This statue of a goddess, a physical representation of democracy, “gave a new rallying point to the protest and put the positive message of democracy back on center stage.”[13] If the Chinese government chose to take down the statue, they would be destroying protesters’ symbolic portrayal of democracy.[14] This was an innovative tactic and a successful catalyst to inspire unity and fuel further protests.
Students bridged the gap between typical civil disobedience strategies and cultural connections by employing hunger strikes as a nonviolent protest tactic. On May 13th, 1989, students began a hunger strike in Tiananmen Square that garnered sympathy from the public and showcased their dedication to the cause.[16] China has an extensive history of famine; therefore, the protests struck an emotional chord and victimized these starving young people.[17] The strike brought an entirely new wave of protesters into Tiananmen Square, as it showcased that “students were willing to die in order to change China.”[18] On May 15th, hundreds of thousands of people marched in solidarity with the hunger strikers, and by May 17th, there were more than a million marchers.[19]
Chai Ling, Chair of the Student Movement, stated: “We stressed that the principle of peaceful struggle enabled the student pro-democracy movement to be joined by all kinds of people.”[20] This was a successful tactic, as people from all aspects of society joined the protests. On May 17th, 1.2 million people converged in Tiananmen Square, making it the largest protest in the People’s Republic of China.[21] As the protests grew, work units of “Businesspeople, laborers, journalists, retirees, teachers, and even police officers and soldiers took part. Many of their slogans and petitions praised nonviolent protest.”[22]
Despite their nonviolent and peaceful tactics, the Chinese government responded to protesters with violent oppression. On June 3rd, 1989, soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army opened fire on protesters in Tiananmen Square.[24] The massacre lasted well into the next day. While the total number of deaths is still unknown, many estimate that thousands of protesters lost their lives.[25]
On June 5th, the day following the massacre, one of the most iconic images of the Tiananmen Square protests was captured. A man, who has since been dubbed “Tank Man”, confronted a line of tanks. The civilian, simply by bravely standing tall, prevented military vehicles from advancing through the streets of Beijing. In contrast to the gruesome and senseless violence of the day prior, the tanks did not harm this man.[26] This singular act of defiance is a resonant symbol of nonviolence. One man’s act of resistance halted a column of tanks, showcasing how individual actions can embody the strength of a collective movement.
Despite its devastating and tragic end, the Tiananmen Square protests were a profound showcase of the power of nonviolence. Civilians felt the solidarity of the movement, allowing Beijing to become “a city of tranquility, of brotherhood.”[28] Tiananmen Square remains a remarkable symbol of resistance and the strength of mass movements.
Excerpt: Protesters were able to utilize the momentum following Hu Yaobang’s death to express their discontent with the government’s current leadership. For the next 48 days, the world watched as protests against the Chinese Communist Party permeated Beijing. Despite protesters’ peaceful calls for democracy, the Chinese government responded with a massacre that shocked the world.
[1] Jeremy Brown, The Tiananmen Protests, in June Fourth: The Tiananmen Protests and Beijing Massacre of 1989 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021), Chronology section.
[2] “Timeline: What Led to the Tiananmen Square Massacre,” PBS, June 5, 2019, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/timeline-tiananmen-square/.
[3] Brown, The Tiananmen Protests, Demands and Responses section.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Tiananmen Square, directed by Anonymous (A&E Television Networks, 2007), 11:40, https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/tiananmen-square.
[6] FRONTLINE: The Tank Man (PBS, 2006), 13:50, https://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-the-tank-man/.
[7] Craig Calhoun, Neither Gods nor Emperors: Students and the Struggle for Democracy in China (University of California Press, 1995), 2.
[8] Jeffrey Wasserstrom, “China’s June 4, 1989: Remembered – and Misremembered,” Time, June 3, 2010, https://time.com/archive/6950223/chinas-june-4-1989-remembered-and-misremembered/.
[9] “Telling the Story with Music: The Internationale at Tiananmen Square,” Association for Asian Studies, May 4, 2023, https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/telling-the-story-with-music-the-internationale-at-tiananmen-square/.
[10] FRONTLINE: The Tank Man, 18:00.
[11] Ibid, 17:25.
[12] Ibid, 18:20.
[13] Calhoun, Neither Gods nor Emperors: Students and the Struggle for Democracy in China, 109.
[14] Ibid, 110.
[15] “In Pictures: Beijing’s Tiananmen Square Protests,” BBC News, June 2, 2014, https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-27410482.
[16] Brown, The Tiananmen Protests, Chronology section.
[17] Tiananmen Square, 19:36.
[18] Brown, The Tiananmen Protests, Backed into Corners section.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Andrew Lui, “Looking Back at Tiananmen Square,” Peace Review 12, no. 1 (March 2000): 139–45, https://doi.org/10.1080/104026500113935.
[21] FRONTLINE: The Tank Man, 23:00.
[22] Brown, The Tiananmen Protests, Backed into Corners section.
[23] “Crackdown at Tiananmen Square, 35 Years Ago” Reuters, June 4, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/pictures/crackdown-tiananmen-square-35-years-ago-2024-06-04/.
[24] Ibid, Chronology section.
[25] “Remembering Tiananmen Square,” Congressman Frank Lucas, June 4, 2009, https://lucas.house.gov/posts/remembering-tiananmen-square.
[26] FRONTLINE: The Tank Man, 6:45.
[27] “Crackdown at Tiananmen Square, 35 Years Ago” Reuters, June 4, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/pictures/crackdown-tiananmen-square-35-years-ago-2024-06-04/.
[28] Tiananmen Square, 22:55.