From 16 to 31 May 1989, students demonstrated in front of the Guangdong Provincial Government Headquarters in Guangzhou [ "PRC: Students Leave Guangdong Government Compound", Zhongguo Tongxun She (HongKong, in Chinese), 31 May 1989 at 1152 GMT, reported by BBC Monitoring Service, Summary of World Broadcasts, 3 June 1989.]. A radio broadcast from Zhongguo Xinwen She in Beijing, dated 23 May 1989, indicates that demonstrations were held in Guangzhou in the 15-day period preceding that date [ "China: Canton - Hongkong and Macao Students Join 23rd May Demonstration" Zhongguo Xinwen She (Beijing, in Chinese), 23 May 1989 at 1352 GMT, reported by BBC Monitoring Service, Summary of World Broadcasts, 26 May 1989.]. On 16 and 17 May 1989, during Soviet President Mikhaïl Gorbachev's visit to China, marches in favour of democracy and reforms were held in Guangzhou and in other provincial cities of China [ Biers D. "One Million Chinese Surge Through Streets to Demand Democracy", Associated Press, 17 May 1989.]. On 18 May 1989, over 4,000 students gathered outside the provincial government building in Guangzhou [ "China: Fewer Canton Students Demonstrated on 19th May" Guangdong Provincial Service (Guangzhou), 19 May 1989 at 1000 GMT, reported by BBC Monitoring Service, SWB, 26 May 1989.
The source indicates that on 19 May 1989, about 4,000 students gathered in front of the provincial government building in Guangzhou and that they were fewer than on 18 May 1989.]. Other students demonstrated and went on hunger strike in the Guangdong province on 21 May 1989 in support of the pro-democracy movement [ British Broadcasting Corporation, "PRC: Demonstrations in Canton and Shanghai", Summary of World Broadcasts, 23 May 1989.]. On 22 May 1989, large student demonstrations were held in the streets of Guangzhou [ BBC Monitoring Service, "Situation in the Chinese provinces", Summary of World Broadcasts, 24 May 1989, p. 7.]. Very few details concerning other demonstrations have been reported in the international media; only the 23 May protest has been thoroughly documented. On that day, approximately 50,000 people marched for democracy in Guangzhou [ Mathews J. "In Shanghai and Other Chinese Cities, Fervor for Democracy Seems to Wane", Washington Post, 28 May 1989, p. 2.]. On that occasion, a poster representing Li Peng handcuffed was carried by the participants [ Ibid.]. Another report claims that 100,000 people did in fact participate in the demonstration, which was said to be the third one held in three days [ Basler B. "Canton's Prosperous Students March", New York Times, 25 May 1989, p. 4.]. No specific reference is made in the available literature to protests on 28 May 1989, but one source reports that the provincial government compound was occupied by students from 16 to 31 May 1989; many activities, such as loudspeaker speeches, sit-ins and other "serious disturbances", were conducted by the students during that period [ "PRC: Students Leave Guangzhou" Zhongguo Tongxun She (Hong Kong, in Chinese), 31 May 1989 at 1152 GMT, reported by BBC Monitoring Service, SWB, 5 June 1989.].

Other important demonstrations took place in Guangzhou on 5 and 6 June 1989 to protest against the 4 June repression in Tiananmen Square in Beijing [ "China in Crisis: Furious Protesters Shut Down Streets", Globe and Mail, 6 June 1989: A12.]. The five bridges of the city were besieged by the demonstrators, and workers and students refused to go to work or to school [ "PRC: Canton Bridges Blockaded by Students", Guangdong Provincial Service, (Guangzhou), 6 June 1989 at 0400 GMT, reported by BBC Monitoring Service, SWB, 7 June 1989.]. On 6 June, 100 students from the Jinan University in Guangzhou held a sit-in at the entrance of the Regional Military Headquarters [ "PRC: `No Military Presence' in Canton, Residents Complain About Traffic Jams", Ta Kung Pao, (Hong Kong, in Chinese), 7 June 1989, reported by BBC Monitoring Service, SWB, 8 June 1989.]. Train connections with Beijing were cut on 6 June 1989, despite the army's claim that the situation was normal in Guangzhou [ "Nouveaux troubles en province", Libération, 8 June 1989, p. 5.].