Tiananmen Square news stories on Newser

Man Set Self Ablaze in Tiananmen Square: Witness

Kevin Spak — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:52:05 CST

In what's believed to be the first of self-immolation in the infamous and heavily-policed Tiananmen Square since 2001, the Telegraph reports that a man set himself on fire there. The incident is also unusual in that Chinese state media didn’t report the Oct. 21 incident—instead, a Telegraph reader happened...

Thousands Rally in Hong Kong

Evann Gastaldo — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 08:18:05 CDT

Tens of thousands turned out yesterday in Hong Kong to call for human rights in China and commemorate the June 4, 1989 crackdown in Tiananmen Square, the Wall Street Journal reports. Organizers say 150,000 attended the gathering, while local media reports cite police figures—which are generally lower than...

Out of Bahrain, a Tiananmen Square Moment?

Kate Schwartz — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:14:58 CDT

The news out of Bahrain is bad— six reported dead in an assault on anti-government protesters today—but this video is worse. The extremely graphic and disturbing footage shows an altercation between a protester and a handful of police, who shoot the man from just a few feet away. New...

Confucius Rises Again in China

John Johnson — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:08:49 CST

Chinese leaders are re-embracing a once-scorned familiar figure: Confucius. A giant bronze statue of the ancient philosopher now stands on the hallowed ground of Tiananmen Sqaure, reports the Guardian . That means he's sharing space with none other than Mao, who officially condemned the teachings of Confucius amid his purge of...

China Blocks Foursquare Over Tiananmen

John Johnson — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 14:06:39 CDT

This time, it's Foursquare that's earned the wrath of Beijing. The location-based social networking site is blocked throughout China, reports TechBlog86 . Of course, there's no official word from Chinese authorities, but the move came after scores of people virtually checked in to Tiananmen Square to mark yesterday's 21st anniversary and...

Huge Sandstorm Turns Beijing Sky Orange

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 06:01:32 CDT

China's capital woke up to orange-tinted skies today as the strongest sandstorm so far this year hit the country's north, delaying some flights at Beijing's airport and prompting a dust warning for Seoul. The sky glowed and a thin dusting of sand covered Beijing, causing workers to muffle their faces...

Communist China Turns 60, Really Just Celebrates Past 30

Will McCahill — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:34:05 CDT

A blowout party is hours away in Beijing, where the People’s Republic of China will celebrate its 60th anniversary with an unprecedented display in Tiananmen Square. But it’s worth noting that only the second 30 of those years are worth applauding, Isabel Hilton writes—not the first 30 under the...

French Tourist Attacked Near Tiananmen

Rob Quinn — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:56:30 CDT

A French tourist was attacked and injured by a knife-wielding man near Beijing's Tiananmen Square today, raising tensions as the Chinese capital prepares to mark 60 years of Communist rule, the AP reports. Two security guards were killed and at least a dozen other people were injured in another attack...

10 Protests That Changed History

Ambreen Ali — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:10:02 CDT

The post-election storm brewing in Iran prompted LiveScience to round up some of history's most significant protests: A piece of paper nailed to a church door in 1517 sparked the Protestant Revolution. Parisians moved more boldly, beheading the Bastille's governor to spark the French Revolution in 1789. The Boston Tea...