With the death on April 15, 1989 of Hu Yaobang, the former general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party who was beloved as a reformer, students in Beijing and around the country began taking steps to honor his memory. From this impulse grew what would become the democracy movement.
APRIL 18: Students hold aloft a banner calling for "Freedom & Democracy Enlightenment" on the Martyr's Monument in Tiananmen Square festooned with a large portrait of Hu Yaobang, surrounded with wreaths dedicated to him by people from many universities. (64memo.com)
APRIL 18: Students hold aloft a banner calling for "Freedom & Democracy Enlightenment" on the martyrs monument in Tiananmen Square festooned with a great portrait of Hu Yaobang, surrounded with wreaths dedicated to him by people from many universities. (64memo.com)
APRIL 19: Students held a sit-in in front of a living wall of police guarding communist party headquarters. During the night, the police forcefully dispelled the students, which caused more protests later. (64memo.com)
APRIL 20: The first march organized by the Beijing University Student Union Preparation Committee, protesting the violent acts of the army and police the night before at the gate of Xinhua. The Beijing University Student Union Preparation Committee was formed only a day before. (64memo.com)
APRIL 21: Students from Beijing University of Engineering carried a banner, top reading "Democracy Bathed in Blood" as they marched into Tiananmen Square early Saturday morning to join tens of thousands of other students. The students planned to spend the night in the square and waited for the memorial service of Hu Yaobang later in the day. (64memo.com)
APRIL 22: Students from various universities of Beijing participated in Hu Yaobang's memorial service held on the Tiananmen Square. Afterward, they issued a petition of seven points. This picture shows students from the University of Public Administration and Law participating in Hu Yaobang's memorial service. The backdrop shows article 35 of the Chinese Constitution and Hu's picture. (64memo.com)
APRIL 22: After the memorial service for Hu Yaobang, Guo Haifeng and two others were kneeling in front of the eastern steps of the Great Hall of the People, presenting their petition. They were not received by Premier Li Peng, who was then inside the building. Recently, in his memoir, Li Peng denied he was aware of the petition. (64memo.com)
APRIL 23: Students put up a poster at Peking University announcing support for a class boycott being organized by student leaders at several universities. (64memo.com)
APRIL 25: One of the additions to the many posters up at Peking University was this slogan from the American Revolution written on a bed sheet. (64memo.com)
The April 27th march was a protest to the April 26th editorial. More than a million students and citizens took part in this march. The impact of this march was so high that it was beyond anyone's estimation. The Chinese authority was forced to reconsider and to avoid violent suppression. Banners among marchers include: "Long live democracy, long live the people;" "Long live the integrity of the Chinese Communist Party." The large march on April 27 was a response to an editorial run on April 26 by the People's Daily accusing the students of conspiring against the Party. (64memo.com)
