Although they were highly disorganized and their goals varied, the students called for things like rollback of the removal of "iron rice bowl" jobs, greater accountability, constitutional due process, democracy, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech.[6][7] Workers' protests were generally focused on inflation and the erosion of welfare.[8] These groups united around anti-corruption demands, adjusting economic policies, and protecting social security.[8] At the height of the protests, about one million people assembled in the square.[9]

The protests were precipitated by the death of pro-reform Chinese Communist Party (CCP) general secretary Hu Yaobang in April 1989 amid the backdrop of rapid economic development and social change in post-Mao China, reflecting anxieties among the people and political elite about the country's future. The reforms of the 1980s had led to a nascent market economy that benefited some people but seriously disadvantaged others, and the one-party political system also faced a challenge to its legitimacy. Common grievances at the time included inflation, corruption, limited preparedness of graduates for the new economy,[5] and restrictions on political participation.

The Tiananmen Square protests, known in China as the June Fourth Incident,[1][2][a] were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China, lasting from 15 April to 4 June 1989. After weeks of unsuccessful attempts between the demonstrators and the Chinese government to find a peaceful resolution, the Chinese government declared martial law on the night of 3 June and deployed troops to occupy the square in what is referred to as the Tiananmen Square massacre. The events are sometimes called the '89 Democracy Movement, the Tiananmen Square Incident,[c] or the Tiananmen uprising.[3][4]

⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⢋⠩⠖⠙⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣇⣹⣆⢤⠄⢹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠉⢻⠄⠄⠈⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠋⠉⠁⠈⠄⠄⠄⠪⠓⠫⠟⢿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣿⡿⡡⣶⣄⠄⢀⣴⣴⣶⡆⠄⠄⠄⠈⣿⣿
⣿⣿⡿⠠⠸⠟⡵⠃⢿⣿⠇⠸⣿⣿⣿⣧⣤⠄⠄⠄⢿⣿
⣿⣿⡇⣙⠄⢨⠇⠄⠄⣶⡄⢠⣤⣼⠟⠉⠄⠱⡄⠄⢸⣿
⣿⠿⠧⠰⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄⣿⣧⠼⠋⠄⠄⠄⠄⡄⠘⢆⢸⣿
⣷⣄⣴⢰⠐⠉⠖⠄⣔⢫⣴⣾⣷⣄⠈⠂⠄⠄⠄⠈⢻⣿
⣿⣿⡿⢸⠄⠄⠄⠄⢈⢦⠻⣿⠟⠋⠄⠄⠄⡀⠄⠄⠄⣿
⣿⣿⠃⢸⣆⠄⠄⢠⡟⡔⠱⢌⢦⣤⣾⣷⡀⠄⠄⠄⠄⢸
⣿⠇⠄⢸⣿⠄⢠⣿⡿⡕⠄⠈⠳⣙⢿⣿⣿⣄⠄⠄⠄⣸
⡏⠄⠄⡞⡟⡆⢸⣿⣿⢁⡜⢡⠄⠈⠑⠪⢍⣛⣓⡂⣀⣿
⠄⠄⠄⡇⡇⡇⣿⣿⣷⠟⢀⣾⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠈⢹⣿

Nani the ♥♥♥♥ did you just ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ iimasu about watashi, you chiisai ♥♥♥♥♥ desuka? Watashi’ll have anata know that watashi graduated top of my class in Nihongo 3, and watashi’ve been involved in iroirona Nihongo tutoring sessions, and watashi have over sanbyaku perfect test scores. Watashi am trained in kanji, and watashi is the top letter writer in all of southern California. Anata are nothing to watashi but just another weaboo. Watashi will korosu anata the ♥♥♥♥ out with vocabulary the likes of which has never been mimasu’d before on this continent, mark watashino ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ words. Anata thinks anata can get away with hanashimasing that kuso to watashi over the intaaneto? Omou again, ♥♥♥♥♥♥. You’re ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ shinimashita’d, akachan.

*scrubs your taint with a brush*