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[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Comments

[hey-its-michael.livejournal.com]

While a nice sentiment, I thought standing in front of tanks has a bad track record of success.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

The odds may be a little better if there are TV cameras rolling. ;)

[hey-its-michael.livejournal.com]

True!

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

" bad track record "

Ouch. I don't think they ran him over, but they did capture and likely kill him for his efforts.

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

There's still debate on that. "Tank Man" happened the day after the massacre. The tanks did stop when the guy stood in front of them, and the guy even had a conversation with one of the drivers. Eventually, after a lot of back and forth (and an attempt by the tanks to start up again, followed by the dude getting back in front of them) two people "dressed in blue" pulled him into the crowd, and the tanks continued on their way.

It's never been revealed if the people were concerned civilians (who pulled him out of harm's way) or government agents. It's not known if he was arrested, is in hiding (or quietly living his life) or even who he was, exactly. The Chinese government officially disavows any knowledge of the man or his fate, though they love to use the fact that the tanks stopped to trumpet the "humanity" of their military forces - on those rare occasions that they are forced to admit that Tienanmen Square even happened at all.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I watched a documentary about him that (the title is escaping me, maybe pbs production?) suggested he was arrested and disappeared. No one knows his name. I would like to at least know his name, but apparently, its still a dangerous question.

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

Yea, that's my suspicion too.

[peristaltor.livejournal.com]

Exactly. He's really nobody now.

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

He did stop the tanks, at least temporarily, but I'd feel a lot more empowered by this cartoon if he (or the '89 protests in general) had actually accomplished anything lasting.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Well said. I thought something akin to this but couldn't form the words.

[phildegrave]

Some struggles take generations or longer to accomplish anything. That this still resonates after 25 years should give us at least some hope.