At 10:00pm on April 21, more than 40,000 students from nearly 20 institutions of higher education in Beijing held flags and banners, and chanted slogans such as "Down with Bureaucracy", "The News Must Tell the Truth", "Long Live Democracy" and "Oppose Dictatorship", as they proceeded to Tian'anmen Square. The procession was seven kilometers long, with students walking five to seven abreast, marching hand in hand. They spontaneously formed picket lines outside the procession, to prevent outsiders from entering. This was the first large-scale unofficial demonstration that had happened in China since the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party in 1949. The march attracted great attention from all walks of life. Along the way, tens of thousands of people applauded and cheered for the students; they brought tea and water to the students, and even chanted along with the slogan "Down with Bureaucracy!" Morale at the scene was jubilant.

At 12:40am on the 22nd, the first group arrived at Tian'anmen Square; by 1:30am, all of the students had arrived. Some reports estimated that there were 200,000 to 400,000 people on site. All the schools sent representatives for urgent negotiations; they established the 19-College Joint Action Committee, which put in place teams from each school and maintained order at the scene. During this period, officials in charge negotiated with the student representatives, emphasizing that the safety of the students would be guaranteed, but asking that the contingents retreat outside the cordon. The two sides reached an agreement and there was no conflict.

Reference: Zhang Wanshu, "The Big Bang of History: A Complete Record of the June 4th Incident"