A wave of protests that has not been seen for a long time is gripping China - against the Xi government's zero-Covid policy, for more freedom. The central element of the demos are simple white DIN A4 sheets. This form of resistance is also known from the streets of another authoritarian great power.
A blank, white sheet of paper becomes a symbol of resistance to the strict corona restrictions in China. "The white paper represents everything we want to say but can't say," Johnny, 26, said at one of the many protests along the Chinese capital's Third Ring Road near the Liangma River. "We want to lead a normal life again. We want to have dignity."
Pictures and videos posted to social media over the weekend showed students at various elite universities from Nanjing to Beijing holding up blank blank sheets of paper in silent protest - to evade censorship or arrest for banned slogans.
The protests were triggered by a fire in a skyscraper in Urumqi. It broke out on Thursday evening, killing ten people. The view spread on social networks that the building was partially closed due to the corona restrictions and that many residents were therefore unable to get out in time. City officials said the measures did not impede escape and rescue.
Public protests are rare in China. Under President Xi Jinping, dissent was almost completely banned. Citizens therefore mostly use social media to vent their anger. It's often a game of cat and mouse with the authorities, leading to discovery and censorship.
Several internet users showed solidarity with the actions at the universities by posting white squares or photos of themselves with blank sheets on WeChat or Weibo. The hashtag "white paper exercise" has been blocked on Weibo since Sunday morning.
Also in Hong Kong in 2020, activists held up sheets of white paper in protest to avoid slogans banned under the new national security law. In Moscow, demonstrators also used it this year to protest Russia's war with Ukraine.
