The Man who Stopped the Tank

On June 5^th, 1989, for two minutes and fifty seconds, one small, simply clad, and nameless man stopped up the procession of four immense tanks on a mission to kill. The day before, hundreds of student protestors had been slaughtered at the command of China’s then Communist dictator, Deng Xiaoping. The protestors had been camped in Tiananmen Square for nearly seven weeks, remonstrating the death of Hu Yaobang, an influential and forward-thinking liberal reformer. They were also concerned with recent political corruption, economic nepotism, and economic reforms. On June 4^th, Xiaoping sent his troops into the square with orders to kill. And they did so. Although the exact number is unknown, it is believed that hundreds to thousands of protestors—mostly students—were killed during the daylong massacre. We can only imagine what this nameless man was thinking one day later, when he single-handedly stood up to a procession of tanks. The importance of his life surely was not at the forefront of his mind. His courage in the face of near certain death begs the following question: if one man can halt the indestructible Chinese military for nearly three minutes, what could a united, outspoken, and brave group accomplish? Although the fate of this passive resistor is unknown to this day, his courage in standing up to the Chinese forces is never forgotten. 

To watch the tank man in action, follow this link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeFzeNAHEhU