A police officer raised a pistol at a protester during demonstrations in Hong Kong on Sunday. Photo / Lam Yik Fei, The New York Times
A police officer raised a pistol at a protester during demonstrations in Hong Kong on Sunday. Photo / Lam Yik Fei, The New York Times
A New York Times photographer captured an image of an unarmed protester peacefully confronting a Hong Kong police officer. For many, it has brought back memories of 1989.
One man wore a white shirt and black trousers and carried two shopping bags. He stared down a tank.
The other woreshorts and a tank top and carried a furled umbrella. He stared down a police officer who had a weapon drawn.
The two photos are drawing comparisons as compelling images of outmatched citizens standing up to Chinese authority.
The first photo was taken in Beijing in 1989 during the Tiananmen Square protests, which were brutally quashed by the government. The protester, who quickly became known as Tank Man, captured the world's attention. And the iconic photo has endured 30 years after the Tiananmen crackdown.
The second was taken Sunday in Hong Kong by a photographer for The New York Times, Lam Yik Fei, as local police clashed again with protesters in the semi autonomous Chinese territory. The photograph of the protests, now in their third month, has resonated on social media and been shared thousands of times. To many people, the image evokes memories of Tiananmen.
A protester in Tiananmen Square in 1989 captured the world's attention and became known as the Tank Man. His fate is unknown. Photo / AP
Lam is one of the few photographers for a Western news outlet who has been covering the protests in Hong Kong from the beginning. He was there when protesters stormed the airport and the train stations, and when they were attacked by mysterious masked men.
David Furst, The Times' international picture editor, said Lam has deep sources among the protesters and has followed their movements closely. That shows, he said, in the comprehensive nature of his coverage.
On Sunday, Lam said, he was just trying to stay on top of events.
Violence had broken out after a peaceful march, where many protesters carried umbrellas, a symbol of the resistance movement. Hong Kong police officers drew pistols on protesters who were charging them with sticks, and one officer fired a warning shot into the air after another officer fell.
As Lam looked on, the protester in shorts and a tank top approached one officer and dropped to his knees.
"He said, 'Don't shoot,' " the photographer said.
The officer did not shoot — but did kick the man in the torso, knocking him over.
Protestors clashed with riot police officers at Kowloon Bay in Hong Kong on Saturday. Photo / Lam Yik Fei, The New York Times
The photograph Lam took was made a moment later, after the protester stood back up and backed away, umbrella in hand.
No one knows what happened to the man who confronted the tank in Tiananmen in 1989. Even his name has remained a mystery, at least to the general public. Some believe that he must have been executed, others that he might have been spared.
The name of the Hong Kong protester is not known, either. But it appears he is still safe. Lam saw him slip away after the crowd dispersed.
