IRVINE: In 1989, residents of cities across the People’s Republic of China took to the streets in massive numbers to demand change. That spring protest wave – often referred to as the “Tiananmen Movement,” in honor of the Beijing plaza that was the site of the biggest rallies – lasted six weeks. During that time, it gripped the attention of audiences around the world, thanks largely to the images projected onto screens via a then still relatively novel technology of global communication: televised news reports aided by satellites. During the months immediately following the June 4th massacre that curtailed the movement, activists in several countries referred to drawing inspiration from the bravery of Chinese students and a young worker, known as the “Tank Man,” captured on film standing before a line of armored vehicles.
