It has been 25 years since massive protests in Beijing and other Chinese cities, and China's crackdown on the pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square.
The Crackdown in Tiananmen Square
![A man stands alone to block a line of tanks heading east on Beijing's Cangan Blvd. in Tiananmen Square, June 5, 1989.](https://gdb.voanews.com/4ec340f9-c9b9-41ad-88c8-fef47287b4cf_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A man stands alone to block a line of tanks heading east on Beijing's Cangan Blvd. in Tiananmen Square, June 5, 1989.
![The bodies of dead civilians lie among mangled bicycles near Beijing's Tiananmen Square, June 4, 1989.](https://gdb.voanews.com/6d5f0f67-cc50-4eba-8359-eaf88ec9f624_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The bodies of dead civilians lie among mangled bicycles near Beijing's Tiananmen Square, June 4, 1989.
![A blood-covered protester holds a Chinese soldier's helmet following violent clashes with military forces during pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, June 4, 1989.](https://gdb.voanews.com/762e16a6-994a-46d2-8d0e-a9ecd4dad70a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A blood-covered protester holds a Chinese soldier's helmet following violent clashes with military forces during pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, June 4, 1989.
![Pro-democracy demonstrators pitch tents in Beijing's Tiananmen Square before their protests were crushed by the People's Liberation Army on June 3, 1989.](https://gdb.voanews.com/3c2d09bb-bcb2-4373-9c50-4870c6c4c18c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pro-democracy demonstrators pitch tents in Beijing's Tiananmen Square before their protests were crushed by the People's Liberation Army on June 3, 1989.
![A man tries to pull a Chinese soldier away from his comrades as thousands of Beijing citizens turned out to block thousands of troops on their way towards Tiananmen Square, June 3, 1989.](https://gdb.voanews.com/7b9f9e68-63d2-4f86-b8fe-c34e32675dc2_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A man tries to pull a Chinese soldier away from his comrades as thousands of Beijing citizens turned out to block thousands of troops on their way towards Tiananmen Square, June 3, 1989.
![A military helicopter drops leaflets above Tiananmen Square, May 22, 1989.](https://gdb.voanews.com/96014dbe-869c-4983-b5a8-e551a56466de_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A military helicopter drops leaflets above Tiananmen Square, May 22, 1989.
![Beijing University students wave fists and flags as Chinese military helicopters fly over Tiananmen Square, May 21, 1989.](https://gdb.voanews.com/25e20468-0eee-441d-94ff-b235590a0085_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Beijing University students wave fists and flags as Chinese military helicopters fly over Tiananmen Square, May 21, 1989.
![Communist Party General Secretary Zhao Ziyang speaks with fasting university students in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, May 19, 1989.](https://gdb.voanews.com/db80cb1f-84ad-44f8-9d74-968135bfda77_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Communist Party General Secretary Zhao Ziyang speaks with fasting university students in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, May 19, 1989.
![Hundreds of thousands of people fill Tiananmen Square in Beijing, May 17, 1989.](https://gdb.voanews.com/41e58876-da75-4e54-9205-05434968e20f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Hundreds of thousands of people fill Tiananmen Square in Beijing, May 17, 1989.
![Beijing University students relax in Tiananmen Square as their hunger strike for democracy begins a fourth day, May 16, 1989.](https://gdb.voanews.com/e44d3c80-ae4d-4aa0-bc45-e158b10e2323_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Beijing University students relax in Tiananmen Square as their hunger strike for democracy begins a fourth day, May 16, 1989.
![Students shout after breaking through a police blockade during a pro-democracy march to Tiananmen Square, Beijing, May 4 1989.](https://gdb.voanews.com/08ca85d8-1639-4d69-a6f7-62daba42a8ce_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Students shout after breaking through a police blockade during a pro-democracy march to Tiananmen Square, Beijing, May 4 1989.
![Student demonstrators scuffle with police as they try to break the guard line to march to Tiananmen Square in Beijing, April 27, 1989.](https://gdb.voanews.com/510ffc2f-c4ad-4ce7-bf2a-24083cf8f9f1_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Student demonstrators scuffle with police as they try to break the guard line to march to Tiananmen Square in Beijing, April 27, 1989.
![Chinese students link arms in solidarity at dawn in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, April 22, 1989.](https://gdb.voanews.com/8e8a7dd4-55c1-46d3-b162-4d67873c6110_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Chinese students link arms in solidarity at dawn in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, April 22, 1989.
![A student leader tries in vain to settle down a crowd of Beijing University students who converged on the Chinese Communist Party headquarters after demonstrating at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, April 19, 1989.](https://gdb.voanews.com/11ed3d32-a7dc-4658-a8fe-29fce8c0eaba_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A student leader tries in vain to settle down a crowd of Beijing University students who converged on the Chinese Communist Party headquarters after demonstrating at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, April 19, 1989.