1989 Tiananmen Square protests trying to block the military's advance towards Tiananmen Square. The number of civilian deaths has been estimated variously from 180 to 10,454. Set against a backdrop of rapid economic development and social changes in post-Mao Zedong China, the protests reflected anxieties about the country's future in the popular consciousness and among the political elite. The reforms of the 1980s had led to a nascent market economy which benefitted some people, but seriously disaffected others and the one-party political system also faced a challenge of legitimacy. Common grievances at the time included inflation, limited preparedness of graduates for the new economy
Defend Tiananmen Square Headquarters Ling led the formation of crowd in the annunciation of the following oath on the Tiananmen Square: "I swear I will protect the republic and Tiananmen Square with my young life. Heads can roll, blood can flow, but the people's Square can never be lost! We are willing to fight to the last person." According to Chai Ling's book "", and Wu Renhua's book Major Events, Tiananmen 1989 at least one hundred thousand people gathered in the Square when Chai Ling took the oath. And some people joined them after Wang Dan announced the formation of the Defend Tiananmen Square