The Unknown Hero of Tiananmen Square

One man stood still, momentarily halting an army of tanks in the heart of Beijing.

### The Courageous Stand: A Man Against an Army in Beijing
* 🚶 At noon in Beijing, a solitary man boldly walked to the center of the Avenue of Eternal Peace, where he found a convoy of **18 tanks and armored carriers**.
* 🚧 Despite the gunfire around him, he stood still, momentarily **halting the advance of the military force**, showcasing an **extraordinary act of defiance**.
* ⏳ For three minutes, this lone individual managed to **stop an army**, demonstrating the **power of determination** in the face of overwhelming odds.
* 🤔 The motivations behind his actions remain unclear, leaving observers to ponder whether it was "**courage or outrage or madness**" that drove him to such a stance.
* 👥 When bystanders attempted to rescue him, it proved to be a **challenging task**, as he was eventually **pushed away and lost in the crowd**.
* 🌆 In a city on the brink of chaos, his brief stand against the tanks serves as a **powerful reminder of individual bravery and the human spirit**.
* 📰 Richard Ross from CBS News reported on this remarkable incident, emphasizing the **lasting impact of the man's courageous act**.

It was noontime today in the center of Beijing when a man walked to the middle of the Avenue of Eternal Peace, which as it happened was already occupied. He walked to the middle and stood there. The man was alone; the tank was not. It wasn't just a single tank. He stopped.

There were 18 tanks and armored carriers in this convoy, and while he talked to the crew and ignored the gunfire, he stopped all of them. One man alone, of course, can't stop an army, except for a moment. That's exactly what happened here. For three minutes in the middle of the

day, an army was stopped by a man who stood still, a man who'd made up his mind. It seemed so. Why? We just don't know. But when bystanders rushed in to save this stubborn soul, it wasn't easily done. He was pushed away at last, faceless in

the crowd, safe we think. But in a city verging on calamity, what moves a man to just stand still? Is it courage or outrage or madness? We can't tell what was on his mind, and we can't forget what he did. Richard Ross, CBS News, Beijing.

1989: Man stops Chinese tank during Tiananmen Square protests

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CBS News

A lone man confronts a military convoy in Beijing.

A man stood in the middle of the Avenue of Eternal Peace, amidst a military convoy.

The convoy consisted of 18 tanks and armored carriers.

The man talked to the crew and ignored gunfire, halting the entire convoy.

Bystanders attempted to intervene but were initially unsuccessful.

The man's actions and motivations remain unclear.

The man was eventually pushed away from the tanks and into the crowd.

His motivations are unknown; the report suggests courage, outrage, or madness as possibilities.

The event is described as occurring in a city on the brink of disaster.

The report concludes with the reporter's name and location.