People's Liberation Army at the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
During the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) played a decisive role in enforcing martial law, using force to suppress the demonstrations in the city. Within China, the role of the military in 1989 remains a subject of private discussion within the ranks of the party leadership and PLA. == Deployment during initial stages of protests == The student movement in Beijing in the spring of 1989 was triggered by the death of former CCP General Secretary Hu Yaobang on April 15.