The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, commonly known in China as the June Fourth Incident, were student-led demonstrations in Beijing in 1989. The students called for democracy, greater accountability, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech. Ultimately, China believed the protests to be a political threat, and resolved to use force. The Chinese government was widely condemned internationally for the use of force. Western countries imposed economic sanctions. The protests also set the limits on political expression in China well into the 21st century. Its memory is widely associated with questioning the legitimacy of Communist Party rule, and remains one of the most sensitive and most widely censored political topics on mainland China.
