| Synopsis: |
No one knew his name. But soon millions would know about his bravery. For almost two months in spring 1989, Beijing's Tiananmen Square had been the site of growing protests against China's hard-line communist government. By early June, China's leaders mobilized. In a matter of days soldiers cleared the square. They used sticks and cattle prods. They shot rubber bullets, then real ones. Thye used bayonets. Student protesters fought back with firebombs and rocks, but they were no match for the soldiers. Gunfire still rang out in parts of Beijing, but China's leaders felt in control. As tanks rumbled through the streets near Tiananmen Square, a lone man in a white shirt came suddenly into view. He held up his right hand and the first huge tank in a column of four stopped just a few feet in front of him. The tanks behind him stopped as well. Photographer Jeff Widener captured a picture of the protestor. |