Protesters denounced the communist-authoritarian government in China for its actions during the 4 June 1989 deadly crackdowns and strongly condemned the dictatorship led by Xi Jinping in Beijing for what they said amounted to continued repression of the country. Once again, they remembered the protesters who gave their lives in 1989 while holding posters and banners of the "Tank Man".

4 June 1989 saw Chinese authoritarian communist soldiers kill hundreds if not thousands of democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square and across China after communist authoritarian leaders ordered popular protests to be suppressed.

While the initial presence of the military failed to quell the protests,  the  Chinese authorities decided to increase their aggression. At 1 a.m. on June 4, Chinese soldiers and police stormed Tiananmen Square, firing live rounds into the crowd.

Although thousands of protesters simply tried to escape, others fought back, stoning the attacking troops and setting fire to military vehicles. Reporters and Western diplomats there that day estimated that hundreds to thousands of protesters were killed in the Tiananmen Square Massacre, and as many as 10,000 were arrested.

Leaders worldwide, including Gorbachev, condemned the military action and, less than a month later, the United States Congress voted to impose economic sanctions against China, citing human rights violations. The regime then declared martial law on May 20 and 250,000 troops entered Beijing.