People in China Rise Against COVID Rules, Call for Xi’s Resignation: One Year On
In late November 2022, spontaneous protests erupted across China, triggered by frustrations over strict COVID-19 measures and the handling of a tragic apartment fire.
The gatherings, symbolized by blank white sheets, escalated into calls for President Xi Jinping to step down. Despite hopes for a broader political awakening, the government crackdown led to arrests, prompting some protesters to leave the country, like Huang Yicheng, who now resides in Germany seeking asylum.
The movement, known as the “White Paper” protests, drew parallels to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, but Beijing’s censorship swiftly erased its online presence.
A year later, discussions about the protests have faded within China, but echoes persist abroad, reflecting a growing discontent and, according to experts, a shift in attitudes among the younger, educated Chinese generation.
While Beijing’s heavy-handed response aimed to quell dissent, the protests underscore that the human spirit endures in China, even under Xi’s leadership.
(Source: BBC)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-67588247