The Tiananmen Square protests were a series of large student-led demonstrations that took place in Beijing in the spring of 1989, mainly in Tiananmen Square, where people gathered to demand political reform, less corruption, and greater freedom. The movement began peacefully, with protests, speeches, and hunger strikes, but by early June the Chinese government declared martial law and sent troops and tanks to clear the square. On the night of June 3–4, the military used force against protesters