Today is the 25th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in China!
The Tiananmen Square protests in spring of 1989 by the “89 Democracy Movement” were student demonstrations against the government with popular support from city residents in Beijing, China.
NOTE: This Blog will not be available in China due to Government Censorship!
The Forbidden City – Tiananmen Square – Beijing, China
When they want to sell you a tour to China, they’ll show you pictures of the Great Wall, the Yangtze River, Panda Bears, The Three Gorges Dam and of course, the Forbidden City.
Imperial Lion Statue in Tiananmen Square – Beijing, China
They want you to remember the Beijing Olympics in 2008:
The Bird’s Nest – 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony
The 2008 Beijing Games were the most watched Olympics in history, attracting 4.7 billion viewers worldwide and earning entry into the Guinness World Records.
I remember:
Thousands of Drummers in The Bird’s Nest – Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony
If you visit Tiananmen Square today, you would never know what happened there twenty five years ago……
Tiananmen Square – Beijing, China
In spring of 1989, student demonstrators occupied Tiananmen Square for seven weeks. The protest was ended when hardline leaders declared martial law on May 20 and ordered the military to enforce martial law and mobilize as many as 300,000 troops in the capital. The crackdown that occurred on June 3 & 4 became known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, and is commonly known as the June Fourth Incident in China.
“Tank Man” v. Chinese Military – Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China – June 4th 1989
Chinese troops with assault rifles and tanks inflicted casualties on unarmed civilians trying to block the military’s advance. The image of one unidentified unarmed man standing immobile in the square facing down a column of tanks speaks a thousand words. Moments later the tanks would crush and kill him.
“Tank Man” v. Chinese Military – Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China – June 4th 1989
The Chinese government condemned the protest as a “counter-revolutionary riot”, and has prohibited all forms of discussion of the protest or remembrance of the Massacre. Any and all references to the events have been censored from state media, the internet, schools, universities and modern history.
Tiananmen Square Massacre censorship mocked by “The Simpsons”
To date, many aspects of the events remain unknown or unconfirmed because of Chinese censorship. Estimates of the death toll range from a few hundred to thousands of people.
NOTE: THE NEXT IMAGE IS EXTREMELY GRAPHIC. (and it’s the hard truth)
Tanks and Dead Protesters – Tiananmen Square Massacre – Beijing, China – June 4, 1989
Something to consider before you book your next trip to the People’s Republic of China, or decide to buy or promote your company with cheap SWAG that’s “Made in China”.
NOTE: This Blog will not be available in China due to Government Censorship!
Tiananmen Square Memorial in Dominikanski Square in Wroclaw, Poland
p.s. Remember that incredible Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium from the opening ceremonies in 2008? Here it is, present day, a 40 billion dollar ruin. The workers are picking trash out of the water in this picture from 2013:
Abandoned Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium – Beijing, China – 2013
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