Iconic Image 10

Welcome back viewers

This month's Iconic Image is...

The Tank Man

Intro: 

This image was both taken and shot on June 5, 1989. It depicts a young man standing in-front of a large column of tanks in the middle of the road. The man stands his ground with nothing but two shopping bags. This incident was the climax of one of the most monumental protests in human history. What followed would turn it into an international symbol of courage and defiance in the face of tyranny and oppression. And would inspire millions of people around the world.

Part I

On April 15, 1989, thousands of Chinese students crowded into Beijing's Tiananmen Square. They came to protest against government corruption and to demand democratic reforms be implemented into their nation's Constitution. These reforms included, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of association, social equality, and economic reforms. The students' brazenness touched a nerve within the Chinese public. Within days of their arrival, tens of thousands of people began flooding into Beijing from all over China. They were farmers, journalists, veterans, intellectuals, and construction workers, all demanding more freedom from the Chinese Communist Party. They were seeking reform, not revolution. Unfortunately, the Chinese government did not see it that way.

Unimpressed with the protesters brazenness, the Chinese Premier Li Peng adamantly refused to meet their demands or to even consider negotiating with them. When a protest leader publicly scolded Li on National Television, the latter became enraged and declared martial law on May 20. As a result, thousands of Chinese soldiers entered Beijing and converged on Tiananmen Square. On June 3, the People's Liberation Army demanded all of the protesters leave the square within 24 hours or they would suffer dire consequences. Some heeded the warning, but most stood their ground.

The next day, tanks began arriving to reinforce the Chinese Army. When they noticed that thousands of protesters were still refusing to disperse, they prepared to launch an assault. At 10 PM, the army began a full attack on the unarmed protesters. With fully automatic weapons and live ammunition, the army unleashed an unrelenting volume of fire into the protesters. Hundreds were shot and killed. Thousands were severely injured and tens of thousands were arrested. An unknown number were executed and some are still incarcerated to this day. By the next day, the army was in complete control of the square and the protest was officially over.

Part II

The incident with the Tank Man officially began shortly after noon on June 5. Western journalists and photographers, who were located in the famous Beijing Hotel began filming a column of at least nine tanks that were driving down Beijing's Chang'an Avenue. When they noticed a young man walking towards the column, they immediately trained all of their cameras on him and zoomed in.

The lead tank stopped within yards of the young protester. The man then swung his shopping bag at the tank as if to say, "Get out of my city! You're not wanted here!". The tank then attempted to drive to the right around the man, but the latter quickly stepped back into its path. The tank then reversed and attempted to drive to its left. And once again the protester blocked its path. The tank's engine was then shut off and the protester climbed on top of its turret. He then seemed to exchange words with the soldiers inside the tank before jumping off and standing to the side. The lead tank then attempted to drive onward, only for the protester to jump in-front and block it again. 

About half a minute later, four people ran up to the tanks waving their arms. Two of them grabbed the protester and hustled him to the side of the road and out of the view of the camera. The tanks then continued on their way down Chang'an Avenue. The entire spectacle had lasted just over three minutes.

Part III

One of the journalists who had photographed the incident (Charlie Cole of Newsweek) noticed that men from China's Public Security Bureau (PBS) were watching him from a building adjacent to the Beijing Hotel. Fearing the worst, Cole quickly took his film roll of the Tank Man and placed it in the holding tank of his hotel room's toilet. Ten minutes later, the PBS broke into Cole's room and confiscated his camera (with pictures he had taken from the previous night). Luckily, they did not search the toilet and Cole was able to smuggle the images to the Associated Press.

The identity of the Tank Man has never been verified. Many journalists and photographers believe that he was an ordinary working man who had not participated in the protest at Tiananmen Square but had been so disgusted with the violence that he chose to make a stand. A British tabloid (Sunday Express) initially identified him as a 19 year old student named, Wang Weilin. But this theory has been dismissed by most journalists and also the Chinese government. The latter claimed that they could never find the protester. To this day, the Tank Man's identity remains unknown.

The identity of the four people who took the Tank Man off the street has also been in dispute. Charlie Cole suspected that they were members of the PBS who had arrested the Tank Man and executed him. However, Jan Wong of Canada's The Globe and Mail (who had also witnessed the incident) speculated that the four people were concerned citizens who simply wanted to avoid more bloodshed. She continues to believe that the Tank Man is still alive and living in anonymity.

Epilogue

It is not known how many people were killed in the massacre at Tiananmen Square. The Chinese Red Cross initially reported that the deaths exceeded 2,600 people (protesters and also soldiers). But they quickly retracted this number under government pressure. Their final count was revised to just over 200 deaths. The Chinese government's harsh crackdown of the protest received international condemnation around the world. Memorials for those killed were erected all over Europe and the Americas. None have been erected in China.

A total of five journalists had captured the Tank Man's act of defiance on camera (including Charlie Cole). For his photograph, Cole received the 1989 World Press Photo of the Year award. He continued to work as a photojournalist until his death on September 5, 2019. 

The image of the Tank Man instantly became one of the most famous photographs of all time. The image was featured in music videos, printed on t-shirts, and even inspired writers like Tom Clancy (who mentioned the Tank Man in his book, The Bear and the Dragon). President George Bush Sr personally commended the Tank Man as a great symbol of democracy and restraint.

Although it achieved fame internationally, the photograph of the Tank Man has been heavily censored in China. The image, along with nearly all of the coverage of the Tiananmen Square protest and massacre have never been mentioned in the country publicly. It is possible that the Tank Man himself may not even know about the millions of people he inspired by his incredible act of defiance. 

Despite the censorship, the image of the Tank Man remains one of the most iconic images in the history of photography. In the thirty years since the massacre, it still inspires people around the world. One of the journalists who documented the Tank (Jeff Widener) was quoted as saying, "A lot of people see their trials and tribulations in life summed up in this man. I think the Tank Man represents everyone's challenge in life".

https://www.history.com/news/who-was-the-tank-man-of-tiananmen-square

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2019/05/world/tiananmen-square-tank-man-cnnphotos/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/tiananmen-square-tank-man

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-49684808