Security tight in Tiananmen Square 30 years after the fateful incident

SUMMARY

Tourists thronged Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Tuesday amid tighter-than-usual security, although most visitors said they were unaware of the bloody crackdown on student-led protests 30 years ago or would not discuss it.

By ReutersJun 4, 2019 3:09:30 PM IST (Updated)

Tourists hold Chinese flags at the Tiananmen Square following the flag-raising ceremony held at sunrise, in Beijing. Tourists thronged Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Tuesday amid tighter-than-usual security, although most visitors said they were unaware of the bloody crackdown on student-led protests 30 years ago or would not discuss it. REUTERS/Stringer

A paramilitary police officer stands guard in front of a police vehicle as people wait for the flag-raising ceremony held at Tiananmen Square. The anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown, when Beijing sent troops and tanks to quell pro-democracy activists, is not spoken of openly in China and will not be formally marked by the government, which has ramped up censorship. REUTERS/Stringer

A police officer stops petitioners at the southern end of the Tiananmen Square near a subway station in Beijing. It has been 30 years since China bloodily suppressed pro-democracy demonstrations in and around central Beijing's Tiananmen Square when Chinese troops opened fire on their own people. REUTERS/Ben Blanchard

A paramilitary officer keeps watch in Tiananmen Square. The event remains a taboo topic of discussion in China and will not be officially commemorated by the ruling Communist Party or government. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

Paramilitary officers keep watch in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Tiananmen also remains a point of contention between China and many Western countries, which have implored Chinese leaders to account for giving the People's Liberation Army the order to open fire on their own people. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

A police vehicle is deployed in Tiananmen Square. China has never released a final death toll from the events on and around June 4. Estimates from human rights groups and witnesses range from several hundred to thousands. REUTERS/Thomas Peter