This is a grim reminder of China's repressive crackdown of June 4, 1989 - Tiananmen Square massacre was carried out when Chinese leaders sent in tanks and heavily armed troops to clear Beijing's Tiananmen Square, where student protesters had gathered for weeks to demand democracy and greater freedoms. China Deploys Tanks On Streets to Prevent People From Withdrawing Money from Crisis-Hit Banks; Grim Reminder of Tiananmen Square Incident.