Tank Man

Tank Man, also known as the Unknown Protester or the Unknown Rebel, refers to an unidentified man who stood in front of a column of Type 59 tanks leaving Tiananmen Square in Beijing on June 5, 1989, the day after the Chinese government's violent suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests.

The individual, dressed in a white shirt and dark trousers, and carrying shopping bags, repeatedly blocked the path of the tanks. After an initial standoff, the man climbed onto the lead tank and appeared to speak to the soldiers inside. He then stepped down and continued to block the tanks' advance. He was eventually pulled away by unidentified individuals, and his subsequent fate remains unknown.

The image and video footage of Tank Man became iconic symbols of defiance and resistance against authoritarianism, widely circulated and recognized around the world. The event is rarely discussed in mainland China, and censorship surrounding it remains strict. The identity of the Tank Man and the individuals who escorted him away are subjects of speculation and debate. Despite the lack of definitive information about his identity or fate, Tank Man remains a powerful symbol of individual courage in the face of overwhelming force.