Tiananmen Square 25th anniversary: China tightens security in Beijing

Beijing enacted a security clampdown on Wednesday in anticipation of attempts to publicly commemorate the 25th anniversary of the bloody suppression of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests.

Scores of police and paramilitary troops patrolled the vast plaza in the heart of China’s capital city, surrounding streets, stopping vehicles and demanding identification from passers-by.
China allows no public discussion of the events of 3-4 June 1989, when soldiers backed by tanks and armoured personnel carriers fought their way into the heart of Beijing, killing hundreds of unarmed protesters and onlookers.
The government has never released a death toll for one of the darkest chapters in recent Chinese history, but estimates from human rights groups and witnesses range from several hundred to several thousand.
Pleas from relatives for an admission of wrongdoing and for a complete, formal accounting or the number of casualties have been largely ignored and many people have expressed their frustration at being prevented from organizing public memorials.