▁to ▁provide ▁stable ▁leadership ▁and ▁economic ▁development ▁and ▁that ▁" Ch ina ▁is ▁not ▁ready ▁for ▁dem ocracy . ▁If ▁we ▁were ▁to ▁hold ▁elections ▁tom orrow , ▁the ▁country ▁would ▁be ▁pl ung ed ▁into ▁a ▁civil ▁war ." ▁ ▁The ▁death ▁of ▁Hu ▁Ya ob ang ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁couple d ▁with ▁growing ▁economic ▁hard ship ▁caused ▁by ▁high ▁infl ation ▁and ▁other ▁social ▁factors , ▁provided ▁the ▁back drop ▁for ▁a ▁large - scale ▁protest ▁movement ▁by ▁students , ▁intellect uals , ▁and ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁a ▁dis aff ected ▁urban ▁population . ▁University ▁students ▁and ▁other ▁citizens ▁in ▁Be ij ing ▁camp ed ▁out ▁at ▁T ian an men ▁Square ▁to ▁m ourn ▁Hu ' s ▁death ▁and ▁to ▁protest ▁against ▁those ▁who ▁would ▁slow ▁reform . ▁Their ▁protest s , ▁which ▁grew ▁despite ▁government ▁efforts ▁to ▁contain ▁them , ▁although ▁not ▁strictly ▁anti - G overn ment ▁in ▁nature , ▁called ▁for ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁official ▁cor ruption ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁defense ▁of ▁fre ed oms ▁guaranteed ▁by ▁the ▁Constitution ▁of ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China . ▁Pro tests ▁also ▁spread ▁through ▁many ▁other ▁cities , ▁including ▁Shang hai , ▁Gu ang z hou , ▁and ▁Ch eng du . ▁ ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 6 , ▁the ▁central ▁leadership , ▁under ▁D eng ▁X ia op ing , ▁issued ▁the ▁ 4 - 2 6 ▁Editor ial ▁on ▁People ' s ▁Daily , ▁which ▁was ▁subsequently