Groups of Chinese dissidents and activists gathered in Washington on May 30, days before the 37th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, demanding democratic change in China.
The massacre took place on June 4, 1989, after weeks of student-led pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s central square. On the night of June 3–4, the People’s Liberation Army stormed the area with tanks and troops, violently crushing the demonstrations. Casualty estimates range from hundreds to thousands. Discussion of the massacre remains heavily censored in China’s state-run media.
Pro-democracy Chinese diaspora groups in the United States, including the National Committee of the Democracy Party of China, the Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars, and the Wei Jingsheng Foundation, rallied in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington. Protesters chanted slogans such as “Never Forget the June 4 Massacre!” and “Down with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)!”…