The event described as the brutal suppression of a peaceful protest in Tiananmen Square occurred in June 1989. Known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, it involved thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators, primarily students, who gathered to demand political reform and greater freedoms. The Chinese government declared martial law and deployed troops to clear the square. The military's violent crackdown resulted in a large number of casualties, with estimates ranging widely from hundreds to thousands. The event remains a sensitive topic in China, where discussion and remembrance are heavily suppressed, symbolizing the ongoing struggle for freedom and human rights in authoritarian regimes.