Fearing Unrest, China Closes Beijing Square

Police sealed off Tian An Men Square again today and clamped tight security on Beijing during a festival honoring the dead, but the city was reported calm despite calls for quiet protests marking last year’s pro-democracy movement.

Beijing residents and foreign journalists observed large numbers of uniformed and plainclothes police patrolling neighborhoods throughout the capital, some on foot and some on bicycles. Many carried handguns or electric riot-control prods.

The government has been concerned about renewed unrest between April and June. Several key anniversaries of last year’s protests fall during the period leading to June 3-4, when Chinese troops fired on unarmed demonstrators. At least hundreds of people were killed during the crackdown.

Overseas dissident groups distributed leaflets calling for muted protests to mark the anniversaries and quietly mourn the victims today, the Qing Ming festival to honor the dead.

Chinese Premier Li Peng said Wednesday that authorities would take “all necessary measures” to secure the city and Tian An Men Square, which students occupied last spring as the center of the protests for greater freedom.

Dozens of uniformed paramilitary police, some with rifles and wearing helmets, closed Tian An Men Square to the public this morning for an official activity by hundreds of brightly clad youngsters.