Equally persuasive was the argument that a disarmed citizenry is more vulnerable not only to criminals but to government tyranny as well. In a country with a (relatively recent) history of military dictatorships and state repression, the argument that firearms played a crucial role in some of the 20th Century’s most glorified citizen-led fights for freedom — in Tiananman Square in China, by Nelson Mandela in South Africa, and by various repressed populations in World War II — resonated loudly. Brazilians concluded that they were in far greater danger giving up the right to bear arms than they were in keeping that right. — GG

The protesters were armed in “Tiananman” [sic] Square?