page_title: March 18 Massacre
section_title: Events
hierarchical_section_title: March 18 Massacre / Events
context_page_description: The March 18 Massacre was a massacre that took place on 18 March 1926, amid an anti-warlord and anti-imperialist demonstration in Beijing, China. The date, March 18, was referred to by Chinese writer Lu Xun as the "darkest day since the founding of the Republic".
context_section_description: A demonstration was organized in front of the Tiananmen Gate on March 18. Li Dazhao, the leader of the demonstrators, made an emotional address. He called for an end to all unequal treaties signed between China and the foreign powers, in addition to expelling foreign ambassadors who issued the ultimatum. The Nationalist army, which was based in Guangzhou at the time, was urged to confront possible imperialist incursions since the Beiyang Government was unwilling to.
  A subsequent march by the protesters ended on a square in front of Beiyang Government headquarters. Duan Qirui, who was worried about the situation becoming destabilized, ordered armed military police to disperse the protesters. The confrontation led to violence, in which 47 protesters were killed and more than 200 injured. Those who died included Liu Hezhen, a student of the Female Normal University of Peking. Li Dazhao was also wounded during the massacre.
caption: Students and soldiers outside Duan Qirui's presidential office on the Iron Lion Hutong, now Zhang Zizhong Road on March 18, 1926.
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