TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Images surfaced on Chinese social media Thursday (Oct. 13) showing a fire burning in the road and banners hung from an overpass protesting China's zero-COVID policies and challenging the rule of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chairman Xi Jinping (習近平).
On Thursday morning, photos appeared on Chinese social media showing white banners with red slogans protesting China's COVID policy, Xi's rule, and the lack of reforms, hanging from Sitong Bridge in Beijing's Haidian District. The presence of such an open act of defiance is notable given China's extensive surveillance network and tight security, as the 20th National Congress is set to start on Oct. 16.
Examples of the slogans included, "Don't want a Cultural Revolution, want reforms," "Don't want PCR tests, want to eat," and, "Don't want lies, want dignity." Another banner called on students and workers to go on strike to "remove the dictatorial traitor Xi Jinping from office."
An individual dressed in orange and wearing a yellow construction helmet is suspected of having hoisted the banners. Police quickly arrived on the scene and arrested the mysterious person in orange, while firefighters extinguished the fire.
The Twitter page of The Great Translation Movement also posted images of the protests and added English translations of all the banners. Additional translations provided were: "No lockdown, but free," "No dictator, but vote," "No slave(ry), but we the people."
Anti-Xi Jinping banner. (Twitter, jiandie131 image)
Black smoke billows from bridge. (Twitter, Byron Wan photo)
(Twitter, The Great Translation Movement photo)
(Twitter, The Great Translation Movement photo)
(Twitter, The Great Translation Movement photo)
〔錯誤字元無法儲存〕 more pics of the protest on Sitong Bridge (四通桥) in Beijing’s Haidian District (海淀区) this morning… https://t.co/x6tSP4LzZL pic.twitter.com/I6QEwwrVuS
— Byron Wan (@Byron_Wan) October 13, 2022
Sitong Bridge, Haidian District, Beijing, a man displayed banners and shouted slogans against Xi Jinping. He had been arrested and voice disappeared, but maybe in the future, everyone who crosses this bridge will remember that there was once a man...#TheGreatTranslationMovement pic.twitter.com/Fr20sF9XFK
— The Great Translation Movement 大翻译运动官方推号 (@TGTM_Official) October 13, 2022
北京海淀。
佩服這位的勇氣。 pic.twitter.com/ltp4rEE5QO
— 賈葭 (@jajia) October 13, 2022
