Quest for Freedom - Carrollton, GA - Monuments of the Eastern Freedomfights on Waymarking.com

County of plaque: Carroll County
location of plaque: Worthy Park, Dixie St & West Ave., Carrollton
Plaque erected by: The Generosity of an Anonymous Donor

Plaque Text:

"Tiananmen Square is a public plaza in central Beijing, the capital of China. It’s said to be the largest urban public space in the world. Although the site has social and historical significance within China, it’s perhaps best known worldwide as the site of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, which followed pro-democracy protests in 1989. The protests ended when Chinese government forces stormed the square, killing scores of protesters and injuring thousands more.

"Tiananmen Square is named for the nearby Tiananmen, or “Gate of Heavenly Peace,” which marks the entrance to the so-called Forbidden City, the former imperial palace of China during the Ming and Qing dynasties, from the early 1400s to the early 1900s.

As notable as Tiananmen Square is within China, it became known worldwide as the site of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, which occurred on June 4 and 5, 1989.

Although the massacre, as it is known in the West, was limited to just that two-day period, the event itself was weeks in the making.

"In fact, pro-democracy protesters, mostly students, had been occupying Tiananmen Square since early May 1989. At issue was their frustration with the limits on political freedom in the country—given its one-party form of government, with the Communist Party holding sway—and ongoing economic troubles.

"Although thousands of protesters simply tried to escape, others fought back, stoning the attacking troops and setting fire to military vehicles. Reporters and Western diplomats there that day estimated that hundreds to thousands of protesters were killed in the Tiananmen Square Massacre, and as many as 10,000 were arrested." ~ The History Channel