In China, a few days before the party congress of the ruling communists, a rare protest took place in Beijing. Protest banners were seen on a flyover in the capital and were removed by officials. This emerged from numerous pictures and videos that were shared on social media on Thursday.
The banners carried several slogans, including calls for the overthrow of President Xi Jinping and an end to the strict corona policy. “We don’t want Covid tests, we want to eat; we don’t want lockdowns, we want to be free,” read one of the banners. China’s strict zero-Covid policy, which has resulted in strict lockdowns and severe economic damage, has caused widespread popular anger in Chinese cities.
Smoke was also ignited at the protest, drawing attention to the action at the busy intersection in northwestern Haidian District. A voice shouted over a megaphone, “Overthrow dictator Xi Jinping,” according to video footage circulating on social media.
Police could also be seen taking one person into custody and loading him into a car while the banner was being cleared away.
Only remnants of the fire then pointed to the protest action.
The images were shared via the short message service Twitter, which is blocked in China. The police initially did not respond to a request for comment from the Reuters news agency.
The protest came at a very sensitive time for the Chinese leadership. Authorities are on high alert ahead of the 20th Communist Party (CP) Congress in Beijing, which begins October 16. President Xi is expected to start a third term at the head of the Communist Party there, making him the most powerful leader in communist China since the days of Mao Zedong. The party congress only takes place every five years.
On the heavily censored Chinese internet, search terms related to the images and the protest brought no results, although several indirect clues could be found. “There was a brave person in Beijing today,” one user wrote, adding several thumbs up and roses as a sign of support.