Young people call for freedom in China protests against Covid-19 restrictions

For the first time in decades, thousands of people have defied Chinese authorities to protest at universities and on the streets of major cities, demanding to be freed not only from mass testing and incessant Covid lockdowns, but also from strict censorship and ever-increasing control. of the Communist Party on all aspects of life.

Across the country, “I want freedom” has become a rallying cry for a wave of protests led mainly by the younger generation, some too young to have participated in previous acts of open dissent against the government.

“Give me freedom or death,” they shout. Hundreds of crowds protested in several cities, according to videos circulating online, as vigils to mark the deaths of at least 10 people in a wildfire in Xinjiang turned into political rallies.

Videos circulating on social media appear to suggest that China’s strict Covid-zero policy initially prevented emergency workers from accessing the site, angering residents across the country who have suffered three years of multiple Covid controls.

Some protesters called for freedom of expression, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and other political demands in cities from the eastern financial center of Shanghai to the capital Beijing, the southern metropolis of Guangzhou and Chengdu in the west.

THE CNN verified protests in 16 locations, with reports of others taking place in dozens of other cities and universities across the country.

When asked nrdya Monday whether “the widespread display of anger and frustration” seen across China could prompt Beijing to back away from its Covid-zero approach, a Foreign Ministry spokesman dismissed suggestions of dissent.

“What you mentioned does not reflect what actually happened,” spokesman Zhao Lijian said, adding that authorities are “making adjustments” to their Covid policies based on “realities on the ground”.

“We believe that with the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people, our fight against Covid-19 will be successful,” he said.

In a symbolic protest against tightening censorship, young protesters across China held up sheets of white paper – a metaphor for the countless critical posts, news articles and outspoken social media accounts that have been erased from the internet.

“I think that in a just society, no one should be criminalized for their speech. There shouldn’t be just one voice in our society – we need a variety of voices,” a Beijing protester told the CNN in the early hours of Monday, as he marched down the city’s Third Ring Road with a thin stack of white A4 paper.

“I hope that in the future I am no longer holding a blank piece of paper for what I really want to express,” said the protester, who the CNN did not disclose due to concerns about the repercussions of his demonstration.

Over the weekend, censors moved quickly to remove videos and photos of the protests from the Chinese internet, although the startling images made headlines around the world.

In internet comments, Chinese state media made no mention of the protests, instead focusing on the strengths of Beijing’s anti-Covid policies, emphasizing that they were “scientific and effective”.

But for many protesters, the demonstrations are much more than Covid – they are bringing together many liberal-minded young people whose attempts to demonstrate could be thwarted by strict online censorship.

A Shanghai resident in his 20s who attended the candlelight vigil in the early hours of Sunday said he was greeted by other young people clutching white papers, flowers and shouting “I want freedom” as they walked towards the makeshift memorial.

“My friends and I experienced the blockade of Shanghai, and the so-called ‘iron fist’ (of the state) fell on all of us,” they told the CNN , “That night, I felt like I could finally do something. I couldn’t sit still, I had to go.”

They began to cry silently in the crowd as the chants demanding freedom grew louder.

“At that moment, I felt that I was not alone,” they said. “I realized I’m not the only one who thinks so.”

political dissent

In some cases, the protests took on an even more defiant tone and openly called for political change.

During the first night of the demonstrations in Shanghai, crowds chanted “Down with Xi Jinping! Get out, Communist Party!” in an unprecedented direct challenge to the top leader. On Sunday night, some protesters again called for Xi’s removal.

In Chengdu, protesters failed to name Xi, but his message was hard to miss. “Opposition to dictatorship!” sang hundreds of people crowding the busy riverbanks in a popular shopping and food district on Sunday night, according to videos and a participant.

“We don’t want lifetime rulers. We don’t want emperors!” they shouted in a thinly-veiled reference to the Chinese leader, who last month began a third term.

According to the participant, the crowd also protested against revisions to the party statute and state constitution – which allowed Xi to further consolidate his power and end presidential term limits.

As in Shanghai, the gathering began as a small candlelight vigil for people killed in the Urumqi fire on Thursday.

“Everybody started shouting these slogans very naturally,” said the participant. “It’s so rare that we have a large-scale meeting and demonstration. Mourning words didn’t seem enough and we had to shout some words we want to say.”

For her, the experience of suffocating censorship inevitably feeds the desire for “institutional and spiritual freedom”, and mourning the victims and demanding democracy and freedom are two “inseparable” things.

“We all know that the reason we have to continue in Covid lockdowns and testing is that this is a political move, not a scientific and logical epidemic prevention response,” she said. “That’s why we have more political demands beyond lifting the blockades.”

The Chengdu protester said she was emboldened by the wave of demonstrations that had swept the country.

“It turns out there are so many people who are wide awake,” she said. “I feel like I can see a glimmer of light coming ahead.”