On April 26, "People's Daily" newspaper published an editorial titled "We Must Take a Clear-cut Stand against Disturbances" on the front page. This editorial has historically been called the "April 26 Editorial". It said that the student democracy movement "will fundamentally controvert the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and the socialist system", characterizing the movement as "a serious political struggle facing the entire party and the people of all ethnic groups in the country". The "Editorial" classified the mourning events for Hu Yaobang and the protests by students and members of the general public that had taken place over the previous few days as "serious incidents of beating, smashing, looting, and burning", and as turmoil "incited by a very small number of people with ulterior motives". Also on the 26th, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s Beijing and Shanghai Municipal Committees convened meetings of the city's grassroots party members and cadres, calling for a clear-cut stand against disturbances; other provincial, municipal, and autonomous CCP committees also held meetings to convey the spirit of the editorial.

The editorial raised heated discussion in all sectors of society. A massive number of large and small-character posters (hand-written sheets) appeared on college campuses to express their condemnation. On a student-run radio station, Peking University students repeatedly read out an article, signed "A Worker", titled "Take a Clear-cut Stand against the 'People's Daily' Editorial". Provoked by the government officials, the public actively responded to the students' call to take to the streets and march. This caused social mobilization to rapidly expand.

References: Zhang Wanshu, "The Big Bang of History: A Complete Record of the June 4th Incident"; "Prisoner of the State: The Secret Journal of Premier Zhao Ziyang"