I’m not a very brave soul, I don’t even think I could go to war unless I was threatened with death unless I did. But some people are brave enough for all of us, including the must-celebrated Tank Man, who faced down a Chinese army tank in Tiananmen Square 20 years ago.
Today is the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, when the Chinese communist government fought to keep control of the country and killed hundreds (at least) of students in an effort to do so.
A lot happened in the weeks leading up to what you see in the video above but the sight of a lone, solitary figure, armed with nothing more than his shopping but still willing to die for the cause, came to symbolize the struggle.
What’s truly bizarre is that no-one knows who the Tank Man is, his identity still unknown to this day. Which for a person who is feted as a hero the world over is pretty amazing. I’m just glad the tank stopped rather than ran him over. Otherwise the moment wouldn’t be quite so poetic.
