Tiananmen Square protests

[Jim Eshelman]

Tiananmen Square protests ran from mid-April to early June, 1989. I previously backed away from trying to identifying an exact time/place. I think, though, that the events 30 years ago today and tomorrow were the pivotal, persisting events that at least concentrated the world's attention. In fact, the peak event is known in China as the "June Fourth Incident" or simply "Six Four." Casualties in the Square (all being protesters except about half a dozen) were somewhere between about 300 (official, government-issued number) and about 2,600 (Chinese Red Cross figures, which I'm inclined to trust).

Tiananmen Square is at 39N54'12", 116E23'30". Student protests had been ongoing for weeks, both there and around China. On June 4 at 12:15 AM, a flare disclosed armored personnel vehicles entering the square. Conflict escalated rapidly. At 1:30 AM, new troops sealed the square against further student reinforcements. The Wikipedia page gives numerous individual times for specific events in the escalation. At a little after 6 AM, students who had left the square were chased by three tanks that fired tear gas, then drove through them, killing 11 and injuring "scores more."

If we are to concentrate on "Six Four," it seems that events inaugurated at 12:15 AM.

June 5 is then the day all of us watching TV that day remember: the day of Tank Man. One man stood before the line of tanks in the square, defying them. After other engagement, he was taken away. To this day, we have no confirmation what happened to him.

But as an event of populist revolt and its suppression, I think we need to take June 4, 1989, 12:15 AM.

Year: Capsolar
Jupiter sq. Asc 0 33'
Pluto widely foreground
Moon-Mars conj. 0 25'
Moon-Sun sq. 2 29'

Bridge
t Pluto sq. s Asc 0 07'

Quarter: Arisolar (Dormant.) Moon-Mercury Moon-Pluto
NB - Check the prior Arisolar later. The protests began exactly as the Arisolar came in and, besides the obvious Moon-Pluto square, the only other contribution the 1989 Arisolar made in Beijing as terminating the 1988 Arisolar.

Month: Caplunar
Mars on EP 0 10'
-- Mars op. non-foreground Saturn 1 14 in mundo
-- Mars op. non-foreground Neptune 2 02 in mundo
-- Venus-Jupiter sq,. 2 31' PVP
Moon very distantly foreground

Week: Arilunar
Jupiter on Dsc 1 34'
Sun, Venus, Uranus more widely angular.
Moon-Saturn sq. 2 40' in mundo

Day: Capsolar Quotidian
That Moon-Mars conj. comes to CapQ Asc!
p Asc conj. p Mars 0 48, s Mars 0 59, s Moon 1 24'

Day: Cansolar Quotidian & Transit
p MC sq. t Jupiter 0 21', s Venus 0 44'
-- t Jupiter conj. s Venus 0 33'
p Asc op. s Neptune 0 19', p Mercury 0 15', s Mercury 1 44'
-- p Mercury-Neptune op. 0 06' (not partile in the ingress)
---------------------
t Pluto sq. s Asc 0 07'