Not a Tankie, but they would point out there was no actual massacre and that it was relatively peaceful in the square itself. Of course there were thousands that died around the square at different times leading up to it.

Then they would say these were agitators paid or organized by western sources like the CIA to cause problems. Not dissatisfied citizens who were snuffed out by the ruling party.

You see the Chinese government was nothing more than murderous assholes all along and have the blood of tens of millions of their citizens on their hands and they are not afraid to lock up and disappear anyone who brings this up.