Around 200 protestors lit candles and shouted, “Free China!” just two blocks away from the White House Sunday. This was in support of demonstrations in China calling to end severe anti-virus controls as well as for political change.
Protesters at Freedom Plaza held signs that read, “No dictatorship, no censorship,” and demanded President Xi Jinping’s resignation. They held up blank paper sheets as a sign of protest against the party’s pervasive and censorious censorship. Some shouted “Free China!”
Protests broke out Nov. 25, after at least 10 people were killed in an incident in Urumqi in China’s northwest. Anti-virus controls might have prevented firefighters and others from fleeing the fire. However, authorities rejected this suggestion. The disaster was a focal point for public anger due to the many restrictions that kept millions of people in their homes.
“I didn’t care about these public problems before it happened to me,” stated a Chinese student. She chose to keep her surname, Liu because she was afraid of being retaliated against.
Liu said that the COVID policy was really inappropriate. “Now that I’m in a country that allows free speech, I will do my best to ensure my rights are protected.”
The protests were joined by Uighurs, Tibetans, and other ethnic minorities who are under surveillance and control of the Communist Party.
A man refused to reveal his identity, but he said that he was inspired by “courageous young people” in China.
He said, “How can they not stand up after them?” “I will at least let them know that they are not alone.”
