Posted on 01/02/2026 2:09:34 PM PST by DFG
A powerful image showing a lone Iranian protester defiantly sitting in front of armed security forces has drawn striking comparisons to the iconic “Tank Man” photo near Tiananmen Square — as fierce anti-regime protests engulf the Middle Eastern nation.
Footage obtained and shared by Iranian outlet Iran International shows a brave individual in all black sitting in the middle of the street in Tehran, their head calmly bowed, blocking police on motorbikes from riding down the road.
The moving image drew comparisons on social media to the historic photo of defiance taken of an unidentified man standing in front of tanks at the Tiananmen protests in 1989.
It comes as Iran faces violent unrest in Tehran and other cities over severe economic hardship, including a collapsing currency that is fueling an unprecedented affordability crisis.
At least seven people have been killed during the largest wave of demonstrations since 2022 — with angry crowds taking to the streets and shouting anti-regime slogans, such as “Death to the dictato” and “Death to Khamenei.”
The demonstrators are referring to Iran’s feared Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
While Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a more conciliatory tone at the start of the protests nearly a week ago, there’s been an increasingly heavy-handed response by armed forces in recent days.
Verified video shows dozens of people in front of a police station in flames as occasional gunshots rang out and others shouted “shameless, shameless,” at authorities overnight into Friday.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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“the fridgidity of rugged individualism will be replaced by the warmth of collectivism.”
A young woman from China who was a student assistant at work in the university library, and a devout and defiant Christian along with her family, said Chinese people heard that “thousands” of dissidents and that man in front of the tank had been quickly killed to teach a lesson. World news never fully reported the truth. Numbers were greatly downgraded or not mentioned in the news.
She said he was a fool to believe a symbolic sacrifice of his life would overthrow the powerful Communist leaders. Face to face never works, she believed.
I never knew Iranians were fans of motorcycles like that.
Do they have an Iranian version of the song Born To Be Wild?
During the Vietnam War the pro-American Hell’s Angels bikers wanted to volunteer to become “gorilla fighters” to help but the Army wasn’t interested.
Such a powerful image.
Killings without torture first. So he's a moderate. /S
“..She said he was a fool to believe a symbolic sacrifice of his life would overthrow the powerful Communist leaders. Face to face never works, she believed....”
She’s right.
Not gonna “protest” one’s way out of communism. You have to literally shoot your way out...BIG TIME. They’re godless, power-hungry predators that have no problem killing whoever and whatever stands against their power base.
We have a whole poltiical party here in the USA that’s chock full of these kinds of ruthless basstids.
The NY Post has become worthless. Protests have disappeared from Teheran. A handful of other towns still have them.
There is a word for this. Inconsequential.
Then you got the ionic 76 "Tank People" comparison in Waco, Texas US.
Did you mean “guerilla fighters? I read about the Hell’s Angels making that offer in a popular California underground paper, and later read about it again in one of Hunter Thompson’s books...
The thing to understand about Tiananmen massacre is that it was, above all, a split in China’s ruling elites and the communist Party, at the highest level.
The CCP are used to stepping on the population all the time and can easily control individual citizens through their many control points in employment, banking, (now social media and tracking) family, and law enforcement
But the fear that some, at the highest levels of the Party may be organizing opposition to the government ruling consensus in the Capital is what really scares them.
It’s very analogous to how Obama/Biden weaponized the highest levels of Intel and Law Enforcement (DOJ/FBI) against Trump and MAGA in DC. Trump betrayed the power and interests of the DC uniparty ruling class.
Arresting thousands of J6’ers was just “clean up.” They would have rolled tanks over them without hesitation if needed.
Iran has long used Arab thugs on motorcycles to control Persians.
No, that’s the humor in it. They were not well educated and thought the radio news reports were saying “gorilla” and they were ready to fight no holds barred to defend the American flag.
I remember when it happened and also read those papers, mostly for the rock music articles.
Peaceful protest doesn’t work against non-Christians.
To Tiananmen Square and to Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021.
You sound happy
The trigger for the demonstrations was the death of former Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang, who was considered to be a reformer.
Party Officials greatly underestimated his support amongst the students, who came in masses to attend his funeral.
The enemy of my enemy..if he’s muslim, is still my enemy.
More about the misheard term “gorilla” by the Hell’s Angels.
Found the date of the letter to President Johnson:
On November 19, 1965, Sonny Barger the “Maximum Leader” of the Hells Angels motorcycle club sent a telegram to President Johnson offering the Angels as “gorilla fighters” (sic) in the Vietnam War. Though the President turned them down, the idea became an idea for a Vietnam War movie the Losers (1970).
The Hells Angels were staunchly pro-American and deeply offended by the anti-war protesters of the era, whom they considered “traitors”. Their offer was made in a climate of tension where they had actually called off plans to confront anti-war demonstrators in Oakland to avoid violence, choosing instead to declare their patriotism through this proposal.
President Johnson never officially replied to the letter, and the offer was not accepted by the U.S. military.
ImDB and Google search.
Hmmm. Well the country is about 95% Shiite Muslim.
I would not want to see some other religious persuasion define their government via force, and prohibit them from voting for Shiite return.
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