ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Democracy movements of China

Democracy movements in China are when groups of people in China want the government to allow them to choose who leads the country, rather than the government choosing for them.

Imagine you and your friends are playing a game, but one friend always gets to decide the rules and who wins. You might not think that’s fair, and you might ask your friend to let someone else decide the rules or take turns picking who wins. This is kind of like what the democracy movement in China wants - they want everyone to have a fair say in who leads the country, instead of just one group of people making all the decisions.

These movements have been happening in China for a long time. In the late 1980s, there were big protests in Beijing, the capital of China, where people were calling for more democracy. These protests were often led by students, and they believed that the government was oppressing them and not giving them enough freedom.

Unfortunately, the Chinese government did not respond kindly to these protests. In 1989, the government sent tanks to the protests and many people were injured or even killed. Since then, the Chinese government has taken a very hard line against any kind of democracy movement.

Despite this, many people in China still want more democracy and are trying to speak out about it. They often use social media to spread the word and connect with other like-minded people. It’s still a difficult and dangerous thing to do, but many people believe it’s worth it in order to have a more just and fair government.