Under freezing temperatures, hundreds of Chinese people gathered in Beijing to protest. On Sunday, students poured into the streets on the banks of the Liangma River, following a massive rally on social media.
Corona protests: – It’s too late to turn around
CNN reporter signs Twitter Most of those who protested are young people. They raised white sheets to symbolize protest against censorship. They shouted “No to Covid tests, yes to freedom”. Several cars drove off in solidarity.
to me CNN Many of the protesters are calling for better democracy and greater freedom. Journalist Simena Mestrino mentions several slogans chanted: “We don’t want dictatorship”, “We want universal values” and “We don’t want the cult of personality”.
The latter slogan alludes to Jinping’s increasingly entrenched position in Chinese politics.
to me BBCIn 2018 he had the law limit how long a Chinese president could serve two five-year terms, and in October Jinping was elected supreme leader of China for the third time. This led many people to believe that Jinping’s ambition was to become president for life.
resistance
Other protesters lit candles for those who died in the fire in Urumqi, Xinjiang, last Thursday.
On Saturday, similar protests broke out in Shanghai. According to CNN, several people said they wanted Xi Jinping to step down as president and sang “L’internationale”, a socialist song protesting government oppression. The goal is to get international support. The song was previously used at pro-democracy protests in Beijing.
Souvenir: Protesters in Beijing light candles and lay bouquets in memory of those who reached the fire in Urumqi. Photo: Michael Zhang/AFP/NTB.
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the death
The nationwide demonstration was sparked by a fire that killed at least 10 people in an apartment building, CNN writes.
Viral videos from the incident sparked strong reactions among residents of Urumqi, which has a high proportion of minorities and has been particularly vulnerable to discrimination from government officials.
Many protesters blame the deaths on overly strict COVID-19 lockdowns, which then prevented emergency services from reaching vulnerable people in time.
The city was closed for more than 100 days due to the Corona outbreak.
On Friday, the people of Urumqi marched to the government building, asking them to lift the lockdown due to Corona. Videos of the demonstration sparked outrage in other parts of the country. This is how the protests quickly spread.
Ethnicity: Many in Beijing are angry and want Xi Jinping to step down. Photo: Noel CELIS/AFP/NTB.
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unusual circumstances
Protests are not rare in China, but it is rare for them to spread. It is very rare for them to directly criticize the Chinese Communist Party, Hans-Jørgen Jasmeyer, senior researcher at the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute, tells Dagbladet.
The Chinese authorities are trying to prevent one demonstration from turning into several. The vast majority of Chinese have a mobile phone, are online and use social media. All social media must comply with Chinese rules. If a message inciting a demonstration goes viral, the account posting the information will be suspended.
Watchman He writes that police told protesters to look at their phones on Monday night. They will check for VPNs, to see if information about protests is being shared. VPN is illegal to use in China.
“negotiating card”
arrests
– If a demonstration breaks out, the authorities have a large police and security apparatus that can be mobilized if necessary, Jasmir says.
India today He writes that the police initially allowed demonstrations, but have recently begun to block off areas and arrest demonstrators.
On Sunday evening, the demonstrators returned to Shanghai, chanting: “Liberate the people!”
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