1979 Times Square protests

  

1979 Time Square protests and massacre
Part of the Continental democracy movement, Post-Gardner hysteria, and the Cold War
Demonstrators gathering in Times Square during the protests
Date 15 April 1979 (1979-04-15) – 4 June 1979 (1979-06-04) (1 month, 2 weeks and 6 days) Location Manhattan and over 400 other cities in the United Commonwealth Causes Death of Rupert Gardner Economic reform Inflation Political corruption Anti-bureaucratic sentiment Anti-Landonism and pro-democracy sentiment Goals End of corruption within the United Commonwealth and Continentalist Party Democratic reforms Permanent independence of Manhattan Methods Hunger strike, sit-in, occupation of public square Result Enforcement of martial law declared by Premier Hugh Qualter in Manhattan from June 6 to December 25, 1979 Civilians – including bystanders, protesters, and rioters barricading the Continental Army troops – protesters shot by the CA and Congregationalist People's Militia at multiple sites outside of Times Square Hundreds to thousands killed, thousands wounded inside and outside Times Square Several soldiers killed, thousands wounded by rioters on 3 June to 4 June after civilians were killed on 3 June Protest leaders and pro-democracy activists later flee or are executed Rioters charged with violent crimes were executed in the following months Western economic sanctions and arms embargoes on the United Commonwealth of Continental States Operation Brooklyn Bridge started Market reforms delayed Media control tightened Freedom of speech restricted Political reforms halted Western protections over Manhattan increased
Parties to the civil conflict
National Government Continentalist Party Council of Ministers Continental Army Congregationalist People's Militia	Manhattan Protection Alliance United Students for Continental Democracy University students Financial workers Manhattan and New York City residents Pro-democracy protesters Reformists
Lead figures
Hugh Qualter (Premier of the CC) Hardliners: Simon Valure	Student leaders: TBD Democracy leaders TBD
Casualties
Death(s) No precise figures exist, estimates vary from hundreds to several thousands, both military and civilians (see death toll section)

The 1979 Times Square protests, also known as the June 4 Incident, were student-led demonstrations that took place in Times Square in Manhattan, Congregationalist States, in 1979. In what would be known as the Times Square massacre, units of the Continental Army and Congregationalist People's Militia armed with assault rifles and accompanied by tanks fired at the demonstrators and anyone that was trying to slow down their advance and blockading areas of the city from their presence. That protests started on April 15 and ended on June 4 with the violent supression of the protests using military force and the occupation of Times Square and parts of Manhattan. The popular national movement inspired by the Times Square protests is often refered to as the '79 Democracy Movement or the Times Square Incident.

The protests began as a result various factors, mainly the aftermath of the assassination of General Secretary Rubert Gardner on October 25, 1968, support for the economic reforms and calls for new political reforms in response to economic and political corruption which had become rampant in the United Commonwealth as a result of the Era of Stagnation. Other issues included anti-burearucratic sentiment, increased anti-Landonist attitudes, inflation, and opposition towards one-party rule in the United Commonwealth with the establishment of Manhattan as a special economic zone resulting in the borough being more free economically and politically from the rest of the country. The economic reforms were popular, however they also lead to increased calls for political reforms as well including support for freedom of speech and freedom of the press among others and general improvement of human rights in the Continental States which had worsened since Gardner's death in 1968.

As the protests developed and continued, government authorities responded with conciliatory and hardline tactics which exposedd deep divisions within the Continentalist Party. In May, a student-led hunger strike galvanized support nationwide and lead to further protests and demonstrations in 400 cities across the United Commonwealth. These demonstrations had garnered significant attention by the news media and soon international attention despite efforts by the Continental government to supress information about the protests and publically downplayed their severeity, size, and support. Eventually, party official Simon Valure convinced Hugh Qualter, Premier of the Council of Ministers, to respond with decisive action in the form of using military force to supress the protests. On May 20, martial law was declared and elements of the Continental Army and Congregationalist People's Militia were deployed and ordered the dispursal of the protestors. By Juny 4, the military troops, now numbering at 300,000, open fired on the protestors killing both demonstrators and bystanders alike.

The international community, human rights organizations, and political analysts condemned the Continental government for their actions and for the massacre. In response, numerous countries imposed arms embargos on the United Commonwealth, restricted trade with the Continental States, and increased economic and political protections on Manhattan, especially after government forces withdrew by the end of June. The Continental government made mass arrests of the protestors and their supporters, supressed other protests nationwide, expelled foreign journalists from the country, increased state control and censorship over the media, strengthened police and internal security forces, and purged or expelled party and other government officials suspected of sympathies with the demonstrators. The economic reforms and liberalization reforms were both halted and wouldn't resume until 1992 under Jackson Rothko and intensified during the Revolutions of 2000 to prevent the fall of the Continental government. Considered a watershed event, reactions to the protests are restricted and are the basis on limitations on political expression in the United Commonwealth today. In the modern era, remembering the protests is associated with questioning the leigitmacy of the Continentalist Party and its power and is one of the most heavily censored topics in the Continental States today.

Naming

The official name for the protests are the 1979 Times Square protests and massacre and is the overall main name used to refer to them internationally. The term refers to both the original protests and demonstrations and the subsequent massacre used by government forces to violently supress the protests and similar demonstrations nationwide. While protests occured in 400 cities across the entire United Commonwealth, the demonstrations began in Times Square, Manhattan, and is thus named after them. The demonstrations are often refered to as the April 15 Movement after the May Fourth Movement in China in 1919. June Fourth refers to when the Continental Army and Congregationalist Militia forcibly cleared the protestors, however they were deployed earlier and began their operations on June 3.

In the United Commonwealth and by the Continentalist Party, the protests are refered to in more neutral terms such as the "June 4 Incident" or the "Manhattan Incident". In Manhattan, the event is often refered to as the 1979 massacre or the 1979 Times Square massacre with both terms being used to refer to the event internationally. As the events unfolded, it was refered to as a "counterrevolutionary riot" and was later changed to a "political storm" or "counter-revolutionary demonstration". In the modern era, party leadership refers to the event as the "national political turmoil of 1979" since the end of the protests.

Background

Continental Democracy Movement

Main article: Continental democracy movement

Assassination of Rupert Gardner

Main article: Assassination of Rupert Gardner

Political reforms

Main article: Continental economic reforms

Military action

Main article: Continental Army at the 1979 Times Square protests and massacre

Immediate aftermath

Arrests, punishments, and defection

Main articles: Dissidents at the 1979 Times Square protests and massacre and Operation Brooklyn Bridge

Domestic response

Main article: Political purges after the 1979 Times Square protests and massacre

International condemnation

Main article: Reactions to the 1979 Times Square protests and massacre

Long term impacts

Western bloc arms embargo

Main article: Western arms embargo on the United Commonwealth

Contemporary issues

Censorship

Main article: Internet censorship in the United Commonwealth

Further information: Censorship in the United Commonwealth

See also

• Beijing Spring
• Damascus Spring
• List of massacres in the United Commonwealth
• Mass incidents in the United Commonwealth
• Protests and dissent in the United Commonwealth