Protests have erupted across China in what some call the demonstration of civil disobedience since the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.
Over the weekend, crowds of cargo took to the streets of cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu, some holding blank sheets of paper denouncing government censorship.
The protests were triggered by the deaths of another 10 people in a construction fire in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang province, which he blamed on the government’s strict COVID-19 policies.
Here’s what some of the other people who participated in the protests said about what they saw and why they participated.
Shiyi, who lives in an outer suburb of Shanghai, attended the first night of protests on Saturday but visited the city on Sunday to show his support.
He said he heard a friend say it happened on Urumqi Center Road and then saw photos of friends on the social media platform WeChat.
“There was a big demonstration at the protest site last night when I arrived,” he told ABC.
“The police asked me to leave and I saw them beating other people on the side of the road.
“Some [of the protesters] were holding sheets of white paper in silence.
“Some chanted, ‘We need freedom’ and ‘Let’s oppose going to prevent COVID too. ‘
“I was so scared after seeing other people being beaten by the police, so I stood there and didn’t dare sign up [singing]. “
Shiyi said he spent more than 70 days confined to his home during the citywide lockdown earlier this year.
“What makes me the maxim is that other regions have other [COVID] policies,” he said.
Recent orders, known as “Article 20,” to ease some COVID-19-related restrictions were being followed where he lived, he said.
“Article 20 is a piece of paper,” he said.
“I expected (COVID policies) to relax, but it’s become more difficult.
“They have lost the trust of the public. No longer his words.
“We were all dragged into this silent war. The fortunes of the nation are at stake. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. “
Lily, a journalist in Beijing, said she was disappointed by the protests in Nanjing and Shanghai and learned by word of mouth that there would be a protest at the Lebanese embassy.
“A lot of the other people there were young,” he said.
“Once I looked into their eyes, I knew they were there for the same reason. “
“The police were maintaining order on the site and trying to convince us to go, but overall everything was quiet in Beijing, with no chaos or clashes with the police.
“[The police] understood how we felt.
“We were not allowed to lay flowers to mourn those suffering in front of the embassy, so we crossed the river and then moved forward.
“We walked past a residential complex and other people just came out of their homes to sign up. “
Lily felt oppressed for too long.
“It’s been like that in China for a while,” he said.
“He can’t express himself. Reports are temporarily deleted when they are published, and the ones you are allowed to publish are not the ones you wanted to write.
“I sought to say what I sought to say in my own country.
“I met a lot of friends my age that day. I was grateful to join them. “
Wumu, a lawyer who lives in Beijing, among many others who protested Sunday night on the banks of the Liangmahe River.
He said he did not know who organized the protest and that it gave the impression of having been improvised.
“I became active after watching the press conference in Urumqi, where they accused the sick of not being able to escape,” he said.
Wumu said what he was doing was complicated for his friends and family, so he simply prevented them from seeing his messages.
“I feel that people’s attitude towards [China’s] COVID policies has changed drastically in the last six months, since what happened in Shanghai,” he said.
“People later found out that the virus had replaced, but policies don’t replace accordingly.
“It has a massive effect on people’s lives and work. “
Wumu said he was preparing to run if the protests escalated, but was glad things didn’t go that far.
He said he hoped going out on the streets would make at least a small difference in government policies.
“There are a lot of things we can’t control,” he said.
“We can go out and make an effort. No one can guarantee an outcome.
“People were shouting, ‘We are the rule of law,’ and I added ‘judicial independence. ‘”
Wumu said he felt like everyone had the same schedule that night.
Some were more politically motivated and all shared the same hope of speaking out.
“I studied law,” he said.
“Yesterday I had the chance to shout it out loud in front of China.
“It’s like a dream come true. “
Bobo, who lives near Urumqi Road in Shanghai, went to the Urumqi fire memorial Saturday night with a piece of white paper.
“I knew there would be other people who would feel the same way I did,” he said.
“What happened in Urumqi is too ridiculous. “
He said that first of all, the police had good manners and only started arresting other people later, after other people arrived.
“At the time of day, they didn’t let us stay long,” he said.
“They took away my white paper. I asked them to give it back to me, but they didn’t. “
Bobo said he felt holding a blank sheet of paper conveyed what he wanted to say without saying a word.
“I hope the massive nucleic acid stops,” he said.
“I’ve been faking COVID barcode scans. This makes no sense and is a waste of money for people.
“They will do more meaningful things, like offer other people effective vaccines and not just enforce restrictions.
“They do the testing because it benefits testing corporations and works best to control people. “
Bobo said he felt fair holding up the white paper and protesting in some way.
“I don’t like to shout slogans,” he said.
“I think I’m a minority in society. I don’t need to threaten my life to reject politicians. “
Bobo said he became worried when he walked past the protest site and thought about leaving the country.
“There were still police officers here and there last night, checking people’s mobile phones,” he said.
“I have videos [of the protest] on my phone. “
When asked about widespread anger over China’s zero-COVID policy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters: “What they discussed does not reflect what happened.
“We who with the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the cooperation and help of the Chinese people, our fight against COVID-19 will be successful. “
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