It happened in Tiananmen Square
It has been 20 years since people all over China took to the streets to call for change.
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| The protesters captured the world’s attention [AFP] |
Twenty years have passed since hundreds of thousands of people flooded onto the streets of Beijing and into Tiananmen Square demanding democracy, freedom of speech and the end of corruption.
After a seven week standoff, the Communist government called in the troops and a bloody battle pursued.
The number of deaths is not known – the Chinese Red Cross initially issued a statement saying that 2,600 people had been killed but rapidly retracted that. The Chinese government claimed that 241 people died, including 23 soldiers.
Since then, China has evolved into a strong economic force and freedoms have been afforded to its citizens.
Twenty years on, Al Jazeera speaks to some of the key participants in the world’s largest and most influential pro-democracy movement.
Through their personal stories and the stories of others who witnessed this historic movement, It happened in Tiananmen Square recreates an era when a new generation of Chinese wanted to finally break from the shackles of Mao’s Cultural Revolution.
It happened in Tiananmen Square can be seen from Sunday, May 31 at the following times GMT: Sunday: 1030; Monday: 0130; Tuesday: 0630, 1630; Wednesday: 0830, 1900; Thursday: 0300.