Tianamen Square: Holding up a Tank

In the Tianamen Square protests, one lone Chinese protester stands in front of a column of tanks sent to quiet to the protests. Proof that there are still people with the guts to stand up for what they believe in.



Background:

The Tianamen Square protests were undertook by primarily Chinese democratic activists protesting the Communist government of the People's Republic of China. The Chinese then dispatched units of the People's Liberation Army into the area to quell the discontent. The protesters were primarily nonviolent. The sme could not be said for the army. Whilst other people were crushed under the tanks as they stormed down the road. The sudden appearance of a lone man in front of the column seemed to have surprised the lead tank commander.

The tank commander is said to have briefly conversed with the man shortly before he was pulled out of the why by two people from the crowd, believe by some to be secret police.

The Chinese government attempted to erase the protests from their history. Reporters capturing the event on film had to smuggle it out of the country. This unidentified man who stood in front of the column, often referred to as "Tank Man" or "The Unknown Rebel" has an unknown fate. The wide belief is that he was executed by the Chinese government, however, some say he is in hiding in either mainland China or Taiwan. No one is sure what became of the tank commander, who's identity is also unknown, or what happened to the man when he was taken from his position in front of the tank column.

The Tianamen Square protests failed, and modern Chinese students typically will not recognize the iconic image of the man standing in front of the tank. The images and film captured that day have, however, gained acclaim and recognition around the world. It is widely recognized a symbol of standing up for what you believe in. This man's bravery has been placed up with such people as MLK, the 101st Airborne who held Bastonge, John Paul Jones, and Ernest E. Evans, who charged a Japanese fleet consisting of several Yamato battleships with a nearly unarmored destroyer with torpedoes as his only effective weapon.