Democracy Crushed: Tiananmen Square (DVD, 2002)

It was one of the most memorable events of the late 20th century.With China seemingly on the verge of a new era, students occupied Tiananmen Square in Beijing to demand democratic reforms. Suddenly, the protestors found themselves facing tanks and infantry as China's old-guard leadership cracked down on the pro-democracy movement. Starting with the death of Mao Tse-Tung, DEMOCRACY CRUSHED: TIANANMEN SQUARE chronicles the events that led up to the dramatic showdown. See how Chinese students, allowed to study in the United States under Deng Xiaoping's reformist policies, tried to bring not just Western economic practices to their homeland, but also the concept of Democratic government. The tragic results of this attempt were played out on TV screens worldwide on June 3rd and 4th, 1989. Notes: I watched this a few days ago and was impressed: this docu is very entertaining and dramatic. For those of you who are interested in the media, this one's a must - it certainly has historic value. Also, this is a hi-res, hi bit-rate DVD rip. pb