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rfmcdonaldTank Man, the Beijing man whose solitary stand in front of a column at Chinese tanks at Tiannamen Square created famous imagery, remains unknown. Such is the theme of this Agence France-Presse article.
Much more later.
He is world famous, and at the same time anonymous. The man who stood alone blocking a column of tanks at Tiananmen Square endures as a symbol of peaceful protest and defiance 25 years later.
It was just before noon on June 5, 1989. Wearing a white shirt, carrying a shopping bag in each hand, he strode out a day after Chinese troops killed hundreds of pro-democracy protesters in the heart of Beijing.
In the middle of the wide avenue running north of Tiananmen Square — by now empty of the students who had dreamed of democracy — he stopped, facing the first of a column of tanks and armoured vehicles stretching far down the road.
Captured on camera, “Tank Man” has become one of the defining images of the 20th century. Unforgettably powerful, his photograph has been endlessly reproduced, despite being censored at home by China’s ruling Communist Party.
His identity and fate are unknown.
Much more later.
