In April 1989, thousands of students began to demonstrate against the Chinese Government, demanding greater freedoms, political reforms, democracy and an end to corruption. The epicenter of the protests was concentrated in Tiananmen Square (China), until June 4.

At the end of May, in the face of continuous protests supported by the working class and with Tiananmen Square completely occupied, the Chinese Government, led by Deng Xiaoping, decreed a State of Exception and declared Martial Law.

On the night of June 3 to 4, tanks and soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army moved to clear Tiananmen Square, opening fire. The Chinese troops cleared the square, passing over the protesters and leaving thousands of fatalities in its wake. Such repression was known as the Tiananmen Massacre.

On the morning of June 5, 1989, after Tiananmen Square was cleared, the Chinese army tanks were withdrawing. At that moment, an unknown man stood in front of the tanks and blocked their path. This sequence made the headlines of the entire world press at the time and became the symbol of the student protests around the world.