Tiananmen Square was the location where protests took place in 1989. After Chairman Mao’s death, the era of post-Mao China began. During this time, the country was left without a leader who inspired his party and acted as a symbolical figure for many supporters. However, his passing divided the government, and the appropriateness of a one-party system was put into question. As a result, many protests started happening at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Demonstrations were mostly led by students who were concerned about the future of China and such problems as inflation, freedom of speech and press, and democracy. The leading party viewed the protests as a threat to the position of the government. Thus, the acting leader of the country, Deng Xiaoping, chose to use force to stop the demonstrations.
From April 15 to June 4, people came to Tiananmen Square. The conflict between the people of China and the government resulted in the declaration of martial law – Beijing was occupied by military troops to suppress the protests of June 4. As a result, many people – both civilians and protesters – were killed or wounded by the military that used rifles and tanks. The outcome of these demonstrations inspired a democratic movement and caused countries cooperating with China to impose an arms embargo on the state. The long period of clashes made the problems of China apparent to the world, and the nation started doubting the effectiveness of the Communist Party for its residents.