37 years ago today, the Chinese government brutally crushed peaceful protesters in and around Tiananmen Square who were demanding an end to corruption, freedom of speech, and democratic reform. The massacre revealed a truth the world should never forget: the Chinese Communist Party will do whatever it takes to preserve its grip on power. If it did not value the lives of its own citizens, why would it value the lives of others?
As we mark the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, we remember the courageous students and citizens who stood up for freedom and paid the ultimate price.
Their voices were met with tanks—but their call for democracy endures.
Arthur Liu says the Chinese government targeted his daughter, Olympic champion Alysa Liu.
"She posted news reports of the labor camps and the persecution of the Uyghurs in China... She was only like 11, 12 years old... And the Chinese government never forgot about her."
On June 4, the world marks 37 years since the Chinese Communist Party ordered its troops to attack thousands of peaceful demonstrators in and around Tiananmen Square. Those who sacrificed to uphold their unalienable rights of free expression and peaceful assembly will be vindicated someday.