No one denies the huge volume of soldiers and many tanks, APCs, etc there, or even that there was military conflict down the road, but there are many fantastical stories about tanks mulching corpses and soldiers firing into crowds with abandon that are unfounded.
From what I understand hundreds of thousands of PLA troops were moved in to Beijing from other regions, but throughout the demonstration the PLA and students had good relations with each other, singing songs and sharing food. At any rate, the PLA soldiers were mostly unarmed, especially the ones in the square, and there was very little violence between the PLA and the student protestors.
It's worth keeping in mind that many of the PLA soldiers and students were likely of similar ages, came from similar backgrounds, and were both experiencing the new hardships caused by Dengist changes in economic policy.
No one denies the huge volume of soldiers and many tanks, APCs, etc there, or even that there was military conflict down the road, but there are many fantastical stories about tanks mulching corpses and soldiers firing into crowds with abandon that are unfounded.
From what I understand hundreds of thousands of PLA troops were moved in to Beijing from other regions, but throughout the demonstration the PLA and students had good relations with each other, singing songs and sharing food. At any rate, the PLA soldiers were mostly unarmed, especially the ones in the square, and there was very little violence between the PLA and the student protestors.
It's worth keeping in mind that many of the PLA soldiers and students were likely of similar ages, came from similar backgrounds, and were both experiencing the new hardships caused by Dengist changes in economic policy.