Bravery: "Tank Man"

“He who is brave is free.” - Seneca

"Tank Man, or the Unknown Rebel, is the nickname of an anonymous man who became internationally famous when he was videotaped and photographed during the protests at Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989. Several photographs were taken of the man, who stood in front of a column of Chinese Type 59 tanks, preventing their advance. One of the most widely reproduced versions of the photograph was taken by Jeff Widener of the Associated Press from the sixth floor of the Beijing Hotel, about half a mile (800 meters) away from the scene, through a 400-millimeter lens. One witness recounts seeing Chinese tanks early on June 4 crushing vehicles and people under their treads, just one day before this man took his stand in front of this tank column.

The incident took place near Tiananmen on Chang'an Avenue, which leads into the Forbidden City, Beijing, on June 5, 1989, one day after the Chinese government's violent crackdown on the Tiananmen protests. The man stood alone in the middle of the road as the tanks approached. He held two bags, one in each hand. As the tanks came to a stop, he appeared to be trying to wave them away. In response, the front tank attempted to drive around the man, but the man repeatedly stepped into the path of the tank in a show of nonviolent action. After blocking the tanks, the man climbed up onto the top of the lead tank and had a conversation with the driver. Video footage shows that anxious onlookers then pulled the man away and absorbed him into the crowd and the tanks continued on their way. Eyewitness reporter Charlie Cole believes that the man was taken by secret police and was probably just one of the many executed, since the Chinese government was never able to produce him after the photo became public.

The People's Republic of China government made few statements about the incident or the people involved. In a 1990 interview with Barbara Walters, then-CCP General Secretary Jiang Zemin was asked what became of the man. Jiang replied in English, "I think never killed." [sic] A June 2006 article in the Hong Kong Apple Daily stated that there are rumours that the man is now residing in Taiwan."

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_Man