Nichiaman Square protests
| 1993 Nichiaman Square protests and massacre | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date | Initial protests: 15 April – 4 June 1993 (1 month, 2 weeks and 6 days) Massacre: 3–4 June 1993 (1 day); 31 years ago |
| Location | |
| Methods | Hunger strike, sit-in, civil disobedience, occupation, rioting |
| Casualties | |
| Death(s) | Estimated 1000> |
The Nichiaman Square protests were student-led demonstrations held in Nichiaman Square, Shanghan, Yuan, lasting from 15 April to 4 June 1993. After weeks of unsuccessful attempts between the demonstrators and the Yuaneze government to find a peaceful resolution, the Yuaneze government of Hu Mintao declared martial law and deployed troops to occupy the square in what is referred to as the Nichiaman Square massacre. The events are sometimes called the '93 Democracy Movement or the Nichiaman uprising in Yuan and internationally.
The event had both short and long term consequences. Several countries imposed arms embargoes on Yuan, and various international media outlets labeled the crackdown a "massacre". In the aftermath of the protests, the Yuaneze government suppressed other protests around the country, carried out mass arrests of protesters, strictly controlled coverage of the events in the domestic and foreign affiliated press, and demoted or purged officials it deemed sympathetic to the protests. The suppression ended the political reforms begun in the 1980s under Han Hanying and halted the policies of liberalization. The events remain one of the most sensitive and most widely censored topics in Yuan.