Protesters with blank pieces of paper At demonstrations against Chinese authorities, they have become a familiar sight in recent days.
People were blank Signs at the Vigil in Shanghai is a city for victims of An apartment fire in China’s western city of Urumqi Saturday Many blamed COVID-linked lockdowns To prevent the death of 10 people said they were unable escape.
The blank paper Also, spread to other cities in ChinaIt was so bad that even a local stationery store had to deny that it would cease selling A4 paper in The interest of National security
The blank pieces of paper are a rare show of dissent against Chinese authorities. But what are their implications?
It’s a way for protesters To express their opposition to the strict zero-COVID lockdowns, and to support them of More democracy without being detained or having their online images blocked by censors. Holding up The blank white paper It says it all, without having to say anything.
“People have a common message,” Xiao Qiang is a researcher at the University on internet freedom of California, Berkeley, told the New York Times Monday. “They know what they want to express, and authorities know too, so people don’t need to say anything. If you hold a blank sheet, then everyone knows what you mean.”
Creative messaging has been used during protests in Please complete the form of Irony and equations are also acceptable. On Sunday, near Beijing’s Tsinghua University, some students held a sign displaying a mathematical equation by physicist Alexander Friedmann, whose surname in Chinese would be translated as “free man.”
Tweet: https://twitter.com/nathanlawkc/status/1596842009364500481?s=20&t=T3OI575TdCWpgaQ0tw07hA
Despite protests, the overwhelming positive messages being sent by Chinese media about current political affairs have led some to resort to sarcasm and share messages that include a string. of Terms like “good” And “correct” They are willing to share their frustrations. People even held banners Reading “MORE LOCKDOWNS!” And “I WANT TO DO COVID TESTS!” in an effort to avoid falling into the government’s crosshairs.
In the past, no signs were needed. in Hong Kong during pro democracy demonstrations in 2020, shortly following the passage of a controversial national safety law. It was thought that authorities could be arrested if they were ever caught. protestersThey could legal defend themselves by stating that they have never advocated for. anything subversive.
The scale of The latest antigovernment protests in China This is the first time this has happened since the Tiananmen square protests in 1989. So far, the Chinese authorities haven’t cracked down on protesters in Several hundred. But some videos reportedly show The police approach and arresting some participants.
The new weekly Impact Report newsletter examines ESG news trends and will provide an overview of the latest developments. are The role and responsibilities of each employee of today’s executives—and how they can best navigate those challenges. Subscribe here.
