Gyalpo Ngawang, a 27-year-old Tibetan monk, was shot and killed while leading a peaceful demonstration in Lhasa on 12 December 1988. The protest was part of a broader movement calling for Tibetan rights and freedom, and was carried out without violence. Despite its peaceful nature, Chinese security forces responded with lethal force. Gyalpo Ngawang was fatally shot at the scene, becoming one of the early victims of the crackdown on Tibetan demonstrations in the late 1980s. His death stands as a stark example of the use of excessive force against non-violent protest in Tibet.