A five-minute primer on an issue making headlines
Today marks the 17th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, and in Hong Kong, the students who died on June 4, 1989, will be remembered by the crowds at the vigil in Victoria Park.
What is Tiananmen Square?
Built in 1417, the 444,000-square-metre plaza is the largest open urban square in the world, named after the Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) to its north, which separates it from the Forbidden City. The Great Hall of the People runs along its west side. It has witnessed events from the May Fourth Movement of 1919 for science and democracy to the rallies of the Cultural Revolution. It was there on October 1, 1949, that Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China.
What happened on the morning of June 4, 1989?
Frustrated at over a month of protests by people accusing their leaders of being corrupt and repressive and of introducing economic reforms that caused inflation and unemployment, the government declared martial law on May 20. When this failed, military action was escalated. Early on June 4, tanks, armoured personnel carriers and soldiers armed with bayonets made their way to the square - reportedly rolling over people as they fired shots ahead.