A protester alone stops tanks in Tiananmen Square

Exactly 34 years ago, on June 5, 1989, one of the most iconic images of protest in human history emerged. On Tiananmen Square in China, a young man stood in front of the tanks, determined to act to the death, and he single-handedly managed to stop the tanks! These moments, recorded on June 5, 1989, are remembered not only in China, but throughout the world. Standing alone against the tanks, the young man became one of the most famous protesters in history, an important symbol of freedom. So who was this man who managed to become the most memorable figure of the protests that began with the demand for the freedom of millions of people in China, and who later was called the “Unknown Rebel” and the “Tank Man”? Let’s look at the details together.

1989 was the beginning of a very difficult period for the Chinese Communist Party.

The four corners of the country were the scene of protest demonstrations demanding democracy and freedom. Millions of people from different walks of life, especially university students, raised their voice against corruption and corruption in the country, fought for the establishment of a liberal and transparent approach to governance.

The Chinese Communist Party considered the protesters, numbering in the millions, a serious threat.

At the same time, according to the party officials who occupied state administration, the unrest caused by the protesters had to be stopped at all costs. It was in the plans of the authorities to resort to violent actions in this direction.

By mid-1989 China was experiencing unprecedented social unrest. The louder the voices of the millions demanding freedom and democracy were heard, the harsher the methods of those who wanted to silence their voices.

The death of a reformist politician named Hu Yaobang in April 1989 sparked social anger in China.

Yaobang, who had been the General Secretary of the Communist Party in previous years, was fired from the state administration and his influence in the party was terminated because he was one of the symbolic names for China’s demand for democracy and freedom. The death of reformist Yaobang further worsened the already tense atmosphere in the country.

Protests, mostly organized by university students, spread throughout the country. The intelligentsia and workers also supported the protests, thousands of people went on a hunger strike, and the Chinese people did not back down from their demands for democracy. The Chinese Communist Party, on the other hand, saw these events as a great danger to its legitimacy, called the activists “rebels trying to overthrow communism” and wanted to end the events at all costs.

Chinese Communist Party declares martial law over protests

However, the capital’s Tiananmen Square in Beijing became the focus of demonstrations and continued to host thousands of activists. For this reason, on June 3, 1989, numerous soldiers and tanks of the Chinese army were tasked with pacifying the events, “stop the rebellion” and disperse the demonstrators in the square …

The world was shocked by the news of the massacre from China on June 4, 1989!

It was expected! On June 4, Chinese army units opened fire on demonstrators in Tiananmen Square, resulting in many deaths. However, the violence was not limited to Tiananmen Square. Many districts of the capital were the scene of terrible events. Shots were heard from almost every corner of the city, and the number of wounded and dead increased every minute …

According to the Chinese government, 300 people died during the events of June 4, 1989.

But the reality was quite different. At least 3,000 people died on June 4, according to some non-governmental organizations. There were also reports suggesting that the actual death toll was at least 10,000. However, the Chinese Communist Party achieved its goal…

The protests in the city have largely ended and Tiananmen Square has been cleared of protesters.

The Chinese government suppressed the events, put an end to the rebellion and saved communism and their own legitimacy at the cost of thousands of lives! However, on the “square cleared of the enemy” an event will occur that not a single party leader could explain, and the whole world will meet a brave man on June 5, 1989, who will do louder than all this massacre …

On June 5, 1989, a demonstrator in Tiananmen Square single-handedly prevented the movement of tanks belonging to the Chinese army!

A young protester stood in front of the tanks moving in the square to bolster the authority of the Chinese government! He was alone. Dozens of tanks lined up in a row could not resist this barrier, the tanks could not move, the Chinese government was losing the war, although it won in Tiananmen Square …

Protecting Tiananmen Square alone, the protester managed to stop the tanks for a while

Later, the protester, who also spoke to the soldiers in the tank, was removed from the square by unknown persons and disappeared… According to some reports, these people worked for the Communist Party.

According to some reports, it was his friends who kidnapped the man who stopped the tanks so that nothing would happen to him. Even today, it remains an unsolved mystery who kidnapped the protester.

The event, one of the most iconic protest demonstrations in history, was captured by foreign journalists in the region.

It was not easy to take photos and videos from the event out of the country. However, the journalists who managed to capture these historical moments, despite great difficulties, managed to “hijack” the footage and present it to the world.

So who was this fearless man who signed one of the most memorable protests in history, the epitome of the demand for freedom for millions of people in China?

Some foreign sources say that the man who single-handedly stopped the tanks was a 19-year-old university student named Wang Weilin.

However, it is claimed that after this iconic act, he was caught and imprisoned. Some sources write that the protester was executed shortly after he was caught. On the other hand, it is also claimed that this brave protester fled to Taiwan after his historic act and lost sight of him.

However, state officials of the period stated that this protester, who went down in history on June 5, 1989, was not arrested, and even his identity could not be established. In addition, the claims about the protester are not credible even today. Neither the name nor the history of the man who single-handedly stopped the tanks is known. However, history has not left this brave performer nameless…

A protester in Tiananmen Square was nicknamed “The Unknown Rebel” and “The Tank Man”.

The tankman and his historic act were broadcast on television and in newspapers around the world. When there was a social protest somewhere in the world, “Tankman” was the first thing that came to mind. So much so that the famous American magazine Time included Tankman in the list of “Time 100: The most important people of the century” in 1998.

The true identity of the Tankman was never revealed.

The protester, the Unknown rebel or the Tankman, known to the whole world, but no one knows his real name, has gone down in history. Moreover, thanks to his actions, he became a very important figure in the whole world. However, details about his identity and fate have not yet been revealed.

Source: 1