This is a photo of the army before they opened fire (this photo was not released by mainland China, but provided by the late Taiwanese celebrity Li Ao).
This is a photo of the army before they opened fire (this photo was not released by mainland China, but provided by the late Taiwanese celebrity Li Ao).
The soldiers received orders not to use force against the students. However, these students tied the soldiers to a vehicle and burned them alive; many soldiers reportedly suffered the same fate.
I believe those students at that time could no longer be considered students, but rather a group of rioters. It wasn't until later, when the Chinese government received information that they were preparing to announce the establishment of a government the following day, that they began their actions.
(The organizers of this student riot hid in a hotel, indulging in feasting and drinking throughout. Afterwards, they fled to Taiwan, leaving the students to die there; in today's terms, they were a group of "refined egoists.")