BEIJING - China marked 30 years since the deadly Tiananmen crackdown on Tuesday with a wall of silence and extra security after arresting activists and tightening internet censorship ahead of the politically sensitive anniversary.
But in China, the Communist Party made sure that the anniversary remained in the distant past, detaining several activists in the run-up to June 4 while popular livestreaming sites conspicuously shut down for"technical" maintenance. It was largely business as usual at Tiananmen on Tuesday: Hundreds of people, including children waving small Chinese flags while sitting on their parents' shoulders, lined up at the security checkpoint before dawn to watch the daily flag-raising at the square.
The nationalistic state-run tabloid Global Times hailed the government's handling of Tiananmen as a"vaccination" for Chinese society that"will greatly increase China's immunity against any major political turmoil in the future". 'NEVER EXPECTED THAT' In spring 1989, students and workers gathered at Tiananmen Square - the symbolic heart of Chinese power - demanding democratic change and an end to corruption, inspiring protests across the country.