People in China take to the streets and protest against Xi Jinping and the Communist Party. It started in Beijing and Shanghai, and now it has spread to other places in China. This is called «the blank white paper protest,» and dubbed the «A4 Revolution.»
It can be dangerous to speak out against the Communist leader and the Communist Party in China. But in a country where the authorities have little tolerance for open dissent, people on the streets in China and their Covid restrictions have turned to more sophisticated methods.
Yesterday, we saw a piece of paper placed on a wall during a protest in Shanghai, and it said; «I didn`t say anything.»
The display of wordless papers «means» we are voiceless, but we are also powerful,» said Hazel Liu. They all have a common message, and they know what they want to express. So do the authorities, so they don`t need to say something. In other words; if you hold a blank sheet, everybody knows what you mean.
Some students in Nanjing and Xi`an held up blank paper sheets, earlier this week, in protest of censorship and as the only «safe» way to say what could otherwise not be said. This form of protest also popped up during the Hong Kong protests.
People in China have Weibo instead of Twitter, and some of them are for «freedom of speech.» Others said they want to go out and work. Another one said he wanted to go out and see a movie.»
The phrase «I wanna go watch a movie» was also picked up on social media, with some people commenting: «I am not interested in political regimes, I just want to be able to freely see a movie.» I want to see a movie! I want to sit in a cinema and watch a movie! I want to watch a movie that is uncensored!»
Despite social media users showing a lot of support for students and locals standing up and making their voices heard, not everyone was supportive of this gathering in Beijing. Some suggested that since Liangmahe is near Beijing`s foreign embassy district, there must be some evil «foreign forces» meddling and creating unrest.
Other people on Weibo expressed that people were starting to demand too many different things instead of solely focusing on China`s zero Covid policies, losing the momentum of the original intention of the protest.
The protest against the lockdown comes nearly three years into the pandemic, and this protest has developed into one of the boldest displays of dissent against the Chinese authorities in years. Maybe the boldest one since the protest in Tiananmen Square protests and massacre in 1989.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Shinybull.com. The author has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided; however, neither Shinybull.com nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in precious metal products, commodities, securities, or other financial instruments. Shinybull.com and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
Ket Garden
Shiny bull 