I was going from memory and so I need to correct myself, they estimate those casualties in the square. My memory was this was in the associated protests across the country but they estimate those in the square.
My understanding is that none of the contemporary western journalists reporting from the square saw anyone killed in the square itself. It was all in street fighting several blocks away between insurgents armed with molotovs and stolen guns and PLA troops who were, at least initially, unarmed. And, like, from what it sounds like the PLA wasn't attacking, they were totally unprepared and were ambushed sitting in trucks and APCs with the hatches open. Like the PLA being there was a show of force, but the vast majority of them had no weapons. It doesn't seem like anyone, students or government, seriously thought fighting or violence would break out.
Also, afaik, everyone in China knows Tiananmen happened, but since it was just one protest with a relatively small amount of violence compared to the size of the movement, it's not viewed as being nearly as significant as western propaganda makes it out to be.
It’s from the Secretary of states intel briefing
https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB16/docs/doc13.pdf
I was going from memory and so I need to correct myself, they estimate those casualties in the square. My memory was this was in the associated protests across the country but they estimate those in the square.
Thanks! Even with the additional context, the point still stands.
My understanding is that none of the contemporary western journalists reporting from the square saw anyone killed in the square itself. It was all in street fighting several blocks away between insurgents armed with molotovs and stolen guns and PLA troops who were, at least initially, unarmed. And, like, from what it sounds like the PLA wasn't attacking, they were totally unprepared and were ambushed sitting in trucks and APCs with the hatches open. Like the PLA being there was a show of force, but the vast majority of them had no weapons. It doesn't seem like anyone, students or government, seriously thought fighting or violence would break out.
Also, afaik, everyone in China knows Tiananmen happened, but since it was just one protest with a relatively small amount of violence compared to the size of the movement, it's not viewed as being nearly as significant as western propaganda makes it out to be.