December 6, 2025
Leaked tape, loud takes
The general who refused to crush Tiananmen's protesters
Leaked trial video revives a rare defiance as commenters hail a hero and demand answers
TLDR: A newly leaked court-martial video shows a Chinese general refused to enforce martial law in 1989 and was jailed for it. Commenters are honoring him, cheering the leaker, and demanding to know what today’s leaders did back then—seeing the leak as proof obedience wasn’t absolute, and history still matters.
A shocking leak just cracked open a long-buried chapter of 1989: the court-martial of a Chinese major-general who refused to help crush the pro-democracy protests. The community isn’t quiet about it. One top‑voted voice turned the thread into a memorial—“May his name be remembered…,” wrote blargthorwars—while others argued people like him deserve national holidays, not prison. Amateur archivists showed up fast: marojejian dropped receipts, including an archive snapshot and the six-hour court video. Some are actually settling in to watch all six hours—cue the popcorn emojis.
But the spiciest thread? Accountability. JumpCrisscross asked what today’s Chinese leaders were doing during Tiananmen, and replies lit up with speculation and side‑eye. No answers yet, just a lot of we need names energy. Meanwhile, a covert‑ops subplot stole the show: DustinEchoes called it a “gutsy move” by whoever got the footage to journalist Wu, sparking cheers (and nervous jokes) about the risks of moving something like this “out of the archive.”
Overall vibe: reverence meets detective story. People are treating the video like a time capsule that proves not everyone obeyed—and they’re loudly celebrating the ones who didn’t. The drama isn’t just about the past; it’s about who’s willing to talk now, and who still won’t
Key Points
- •In May 1989, pro-democracy protests expanded in Beijing and across China.
- •Chinese leaders determined the army was necessary to stop the protests and ordered martial law in Beijing.
- •A major-general commanding 15,000 troops objected to enforcing martial law in the capital.
- •Authorities did not publicly disclose the general’s objection or his five-year prison sentence.
- •A leaked video of the general’s court-martial has surfaced, revealing internal dissent and limits to guaranteed compliance.