Kerry recognizes 'courage and commitment' of protesters on 25th anniversary of Tiananmen Square

WASHINGTON, June 4 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recognized "the courage and commitment" of the protesters who took part in Tiananmen Square 25 years ago.

Marking the anniversary on Wednesday, Kerry reflected on that day in 1989.

"I'll never forget turning on the television in my office and seeing a column of tanks halted by a single man armed only with his conscience. In those uncertain days, I was in the presence of 2,000 students in Massachusetts. I shared with them that these events were not the happenings of a weekend, but the happenings of an epoch, of a lifetime, and they demanded a moral and political response."

Over 1,000 people are believed to have been killed when troops and tanks opened fire on the student-led protest in what became known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

June 4, 1989 "still stirs our conscience," said Kerry.

While "China has made marked social and economic progress in the past several decades," Kerry noted that "Continued progress will be defined by openness not just to the world, but to the voices and diverse perspectives of China's citizens."

Kerry called upon China to release individuals detained in advance of the 25th anniversary, "and to uphold its international commitments to protect fundamental freedoms of all in China."