the tiananmen square protests were student-led demonstrations calling for democracy, free speech and a free press in china. there were other protests on tiananmen square in 1919 and 1976. the protests of 1989 were organised by groups of students, intellectuals and labour activists. there was no common cause or leadership in the protests. however, most protesters did not like the way the communist party of china ran the economy. some people also wanted a change towards more democracy. most people protested on tiananmen square in beijing, but some also did in other cities, like shanghai. the protests in cities other than beijing stayed peaceful.