According to the Liberty Times, a video was circulated on Twitter. It can be seen in the picture that an armored convoy was driving on the road, but they all turned at the same place. After a closer look, it was suspected that a Ukrainian citizen disregarded his own safety and used his physical body. Blocking the passing of the convoy, the thrilling scene made the people who were filming on the side couldn’t help exclaiming.
After the video was exposed online, many netizens praised the people’s courage, saying, “This dude is so brave,” “What a heroic move,” and “Don’t underestimate the determination to protect democracy and freedom.”
The picture also reminded many netizens of the “June 4th Tiananmen Incident” in China. There was a scene where protesters used their bodies to block tanks, which is still vivid in their minds.
The “1989 Democracy Movement” started in mid-April 1989. It was initiated by students from mainland Chinese colleges and universities in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, and lasted for nearly two months. The students demanded democratic reform. , and went on a hunger strike to protest, which moved many people to join the protest movement. From the evening of June 3 to the early morning of June 4, 1989, the CCP army, armed police and police carried out a force-clearing operation against demonstrators in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, which was called “June 4 Tiananmen Incident” and “June 4 Crackdown” in history. , “June 4th Massacre”, “Tiananmen Incident”, “Tiananmen Massacre”.
The day after the “June 4th Tiananmen Incident”, on June 5th, on Chang’an Avenue in Beijing, a man who blocked the advance of the CCP army tank convoy alone, whose real name is unknown, was later called “Tank Man” by the outside world. At the time, the man tried to block a convoy of about 18 Type 59 tanks. Although the lead tank driver tried to turn around at one point, it was still blocked and prevented from advancing. The man also climbed the tank turret and tried to communicate with the commander. He appeared to be persuaded to leave, and the tank team continued to move forward, but the driver slammed to a halt again as the man ran forward again. After talking for a while, in the stalemate, a man on a bicycle came to persuade. In the end, he was taken away from the scene by several people wearing blue clothes.
The process of the man blocking the advance of the tank team alone was recorded by photographers such as Jeff Widener and foreign media. Soon, relevant photos and images were widely circulated and discussed on the front pages of major international newspapers and news media. At that time, the British “Sunday Express” published a report calling him a 19-year-old student “Wang Weilin” (Wang Weilin). In many documentaries and related exhibitions about the “June 4 Tiananmen Incident”, the incident of a man blocking a tank will be mentioned. This photo has become one of the most famous photos in modern history, and it also symbolizes the fearless courage of the modern Chinese people in their pursuit of democracy and freedom. .
When discussing the “June 4th Incident” in the international community today, the incident of blocking tanks is often mentioned, and the tank blocker is regarded as one of the greatest heroes of the 20th century. In October 1995, the PBS documentary “Tiananmen” commented on the man blocking the tanks as “this is the challenge of human conscience and courage to the ruthless state apparatus.” “Time” magazine named the tanker as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, and a related article mentioned that “one of his actions has reshaped the symbol of courage in the world.”