Conversation so far:
When did the incident occur?
on June 5, 1989.
What happened?
The man stood in the middle of the wide avenue, directly in the path of a column of approaching Type 59 tanks.
Did the tanks stop?
After repeatedly attempting to go around rather than crush the man, the lead tank stopped its engines.

Question: What was the reaction to the event?
Self-contained rewrite: What was the reaction to the Tank Man event of June 5, 1989?