Hundreds of thousands of university students and other protestors took to the streets 34 years ago and raised hopes of bringing democracy to China. But the movement in Tiananmen Square was crushed in a hail of gunfire. Now, many of those same protestors are trying to build new momentum in New York.

Student demonstrators who are now living in the US opened an exhibit on Friday to tell of the events of June 4, 1989. They have gathered what they call "evidence" -- a bloody shirt, ripped banners and other items -- that show in stark terms the violence of the crackdown.

Their goal is to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives.

Chinese officials say more than 300 people died in the crackdown, but others estimate the number could be higher.

Authorities imposed a national-security law in Hong Kong in 2020 and seized items from a similar exhibit there the following year.

Organizers in the US are determined to carry on the mission.

Exhibition organizer Wang Dan, who joined the protest as a student leader and then left China says "the whole Western civilization faces the challenge from the CCP . So now it's very important to understand or to have a deeper understanding of China."

Wang added that he wants visitors to remember the democratic dream of the Chinese people as they experienced it 34 years ago.