A filmmaker made a documentary about protests in China. Now he’s sentenced to more than 3 years in prison
3 days, 6 hours ago

A filmmaker made a documentary about protests in China. Now he’s sentenced to more than 3 years in prison

CNN  

Hong Kong CNN — A Chinese filmmaker has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for his documentary about China’s nationwide protests against Covid lockdowns in late 2022, as Beijing seeks to erase public memories of stunning scenes of dissent against its handling of the pandemic. Chen, who goes by the name “Plato,” was detained by Shanghai police in November 2023 after releasing a documentary to mark the first anniversary of what became known as the “White Paper” protests. In English it was called “Not the Foreign Force.” Chen previously said that he wanted to use the documentary to counter the government’s attempt to discredit the protests and blame “foreign forces” for orchestrating dissent – a tactic often deployed by China’s ruling Communist Party to explain away moments of genuine public anger. Like many young people who took part in the protests, it was Chen’s first time voicing his political demands in China when he took to the streets of Shanghai on November 26, 2022, according to a post he published when releasing the documentary.

Protests Documentary Chinese Shanghai Public Chen Covid Dissent China  chinese  2022  political  shanghai  white  documentary  dissent  china  filmmaker  public  protests  sentenced  hes  prison

History of this topic

Chen Pinlin: China sentences filmmaker 3.5 years in jail for documentary on Covid lockdown protests
1 day, 23 hours ago

Chen Pinlin: China sentences filmmaker 3.5 years in jail for documentary on Covid lockdown protests

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Chinese documentary filmmaker has …

Beijing 'crackdown' on deadly attacks in China after videos evade censors
1 week, 1 day ago

Beijing 'crackdown' on deadly attacks in China after videos evade censors

ABC  

Beijing has warned of a "crackdown" on random violent crimes in 2025, in the wake of a spate of mass attacks on the public in the final months of 2024. Dr Wang, from the University of New South Wales, said the government considered the death penalty "an effective means of delivering justice, showing deterrence and maintaining social stability and public …

Status of Chinese citizen journalist who reported on COVID unknown on day of expected prison release
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Status of Chinese citizen journalist who reported on COVID unknown on day of expected prison release

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The whereabouts of a Chinese …

Status of Chinese citizen journalist who reported on COVID unknown on day of expected prison release
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Status of Chinese citizen journalist who reported on COVID unknown on day of expected prison release

Associated Press  

BANGKOK — The whereabouts of a Chinese citizen journalist who served four years in prison for reporting on the early days of the pandemic in Wuhan and was expected to be released Monday are unknown, raising concern from activists. Zhang Zhan, who had been sentenced to four years in prison on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a vaguely …

Chinese citizen journalist jailed for Covid reporting in Wuhan finally set to be released
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Chinese citizen journalist jailed for Covid reporting in Wuhan finally set to be released

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, …

China’s Management of Covid-19 Crisis: A Case Study in Disinformation and Censorship - News18
11 months, 4 weeks ago

China’s Management of Covid-19 Crisis: A Case Study in Disinformation and Censorship - News18

News 18  

Censorship, surveillance, and authoritarianism have become synonyms with China in recent years. The court observed that had the government officials heeded to the warnings from the detained healthcare workers and adopted precautionary measures than taking punitive measures by labelling them as rumourmonger, “it would’ve meant we could better control the coronavirus today.” Dr Li contracted covid19 on January 8, 2020, …

One year after protests shook China, participants ponder the meaning of the brief flare of defiance
1 year, 1 month ago

One year after protests shook China, participants ponder the meaning of the brief flare of defiance

Associated Press  

BEIJING — A year ago, Li Houchen was on the streets of Shanghai, hollering “Freedom!” to protest China’s harsh “zero COVID” policy and growing authoritarianism. He was one of thousands of people demonstrating across China in what came to be called the White Paper movement, after the blank sheets of paper protesters used to represent the country’s strict censorship controls. …

China: MeToo journalist, labour activist to appear in secret trial amid increasing crackdown on civil society
1 year, 3 months ago

China: MeToo journalist, labour activist to appear in secret trial amid increasing crackdown on civil society

India TV News  

An independent MeToo journalist and a labour activist in China, who have been detained for over two years, are scheduled to appear in a 'secret' trial on Friday amid Beijing's intensifying crackdown on the remaining aspects of the Chinese civil society, according to a report by CNN. MeToo activist Huang Xueqin and labour rights activist Wang Jiangbing were detained by …

Xi urges renewed crackdown on ‘illegal religious activities’ in rare visit to Xinjiang
1 year, 4 months ago

Xi urges renewed crackdown on ‘illegal religious activities’ in rare visit to Xinjiang

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Chinese president Xi Jinping called …

China tightens access to Tiananmen Square, 32 detained in Hong Kong on anniversary of 1989 protests
1 year, 7 months ago

China tightens access to Tiananmen Square, 32 detained in Hong Kong on anniversary of 1989 protests

Associated Press  

BEIJING — China tightened access to Tiananmen Square in central Beijing on Sunday, the anniversary of the military suppression of 1989 pro-democracy protests that left a still unknown number of people dead and discussions and commemorations forbidden within the country. In Hong Kong, which was the last Chinese-controlled territory to hold commemorations, eight people, including activists and artists, were detained …

Chinese ‘citizen journalist’ who reported on COVID-19 to be released after 3 years
1 year, 8 months ago

Chinese ‘citizen journalist’ who reported on COVID-19 to be released after 3 years

The Hindu  

Chinese authorities were preparing on April 30 to release a man who disappeared three years ago after publicising videos of overcrowded hospitals and bodies during the COVID-19 outbreak, a relative and another person familiar with his case said. Fang Bin and other members of the public who were dubbed citizen journalists posted details of the pandemic in early 2020 on …

’China’s Zero Covid Policy completely…’: What Premiere Li Qiang had to say
1 year, 9 months ago

’China’s Zero Covid Policy completely…’: What Premiere Li Qiang had to say

Live Mint  

China got its new Premiere Li Qiang, who delivered his first speech on Monday. During his speech, Qiang vehemently defended the unenviable Zero Covid Policy brought about by the Xi Jinping government in the East Asian country. Qiang said the Zero Covid strategy followed by the country for over three years which hurt its economic growth also led to public …

China ‘harassed’ foreign journalists in 2022, report on surveillance shows
1 year, 10 months ago

China ‘harassed’ foreign journalists in 2022, report on surveillance shows

Hindustan Times  

Foreign journalists in China faced strict Covid controls, harassment and constant surveillance in 2022, a report said. Nearly half of foreign journalists in China were ordered to leave a place or denied access on health and safety grounds in 2022 even though they did not present any "health risk by China's own standards", the Foreign Correspondents' Club of China said …

China's President Xi Jinping says 'light of hope in front of us' on COVID-19
2 years ago

China's President Xi Jinping says 'light of hope in front of us' on COVID-19

Firstpost  

China on Saturday reported more than 7,000 new infections and one death linked to COVID out of its population of 1.4 billion – but the figures appear to be out of step with the reality on the ground Beijing, China: President Xi Jinping said Saturday the “light of hope is right in front of us” as China faces an explosion …

Grassroots Protests Are Frequent in Xi Jinping’s China
2 years ago

Grassroots Protests Are Frequent in Xi Jinping’s China

The Diplomat  

How often do protests occur in China? Dissent in China looks After their children suffered food poisoning, hundreds of parents in Xi’an protested outside the tutoring company Kid Castle. While CDM does record challenges to central leadership – for example, when three long-time Chinese Communist Party members published an open letter in August calling on the party to revise its …

Beijing reports first Covid-19 deaths as China eases curbs, crematoriums run 24X7
2 years ago

Beijing reports first Covid-19 deaths as China eases curbs, crematoriums run 24X7

Firstpost  

China’s national health authority has not reported any official Covid-19 deaths since withdrawing many of its domestic restrictions on December 7. The last official deaths were reported on December 3, in Shandong and Sichuan provinces Beijing: Two former Chinese state media journalists have died in capital city Beijing recently due to Covid-19, local media reported on Friday, among the first …

Meet the painter who shared China's Covid protests with the world
2 years ago

Meet the painter who shared China's Covid protests with the world

Hindustan Times  

When China's historic protests against COVID curbs erupted in late November, a 30-year-old Chinese man in a flat in northern Italy became one of the most important conduits of information on the unfolding drama via a lone Twitter account. "Teacher Li is Not Your Teacher", his Twitter handle, became an Internet sensation as he reposted details and footage of protests …

Protests in China continue despite relaxation in Covid restrictions
2 years ago

Protests in China continue despite relaxation in Covid restrictions

India Today  

After protests in more than twenty Chinese cities that began on November 25 following the Urumqi fire that charred 10 people to death, Beijing has loosened restrictions pertaining to the long-running zero-Covid policies that prohibited people from entering supermarkets and commercial buildings. Date: 2022/12/06 Location: Hefei On Monday evening, the students of Anhui Medical University in Hefei, China protested after …

China’s COVID trap - The Hindu
2 years, 1 month ago

China’s COVID trap - The Hindu

The Hindu  

The Chinese government seems to be caught between a rock and a hard place as it looks to navigate a way out of its current COVID-19 troubles. China’s government on Tuesday said it would ease some measures as well as launch a new push to vaccinate the elderly—a key step that would enable an eventual easing of the unpopular “zero-COVID” …

Protesters near White House demand ‘Free China!’
2 years, 1 month ago

Protesters near White House demand ‘Free China!’

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — About 200 protesters lit candles and shouted “Free China!” two blocks from the White House on Sunday in a show of support for demonstrations in China calling for an end to severe anti-virus controls and for political change. Protesters in Freedom Plaza held up signs saying, “No Dictatorship, No Censorship,” demanding that President Xi Jinping and the ruling …

China’s protests are a warning to Xi Jinping from the youth
2 years, 1 month ago

China’s protests are a warning to Xi Jinping from the youth

Al Jazeera  

Frustration and grievances over China’s zero-COVID policy have led to large protests in more than a dozen cities, on a scale unseen since the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in 1989. Different politics After the student-led Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, which were triggered by the death of pro-reform leader Hu Yaobang, the ruling CCP drew lessons from the incident by adopting …

China further relaxes COVID-19 restrictions after protests
2 years, 1 month ago

China further relaxes COVID-19 restrictions after protests

The Hindu  

Cities across China further unwound COVID restrictions Friday, loosening testing and quarantine rules in the wake of nationwide protests calling for an end to lockdowns and greater political freedoms. A number of cities have also begun loosening COVID restrictions, such as moving away from daily mass testing requirements – a tedious mainstay of life under Beijing's stringent zero-COVID policy. Social …

Have protests pushed China to step away from its zero-COVID policy?
2 years, 1 month ago

Have protests pushed China to step away from its zero-COVID policy?

Firstpost  

After following the strictest zero-COVID policy since the outbreak of the virus, China has signalled a shift, with some cities such as Guangzhou, Beijing and Chongqing lifting curbs. On Wednesday, Sun Chunlan, China’s vice-premier and also the person overseeing the country’s COVID response, said the country is entering a “new stage and mission” in its coronavirus fight — a clear …

How a deadly fire ignited dissent over China’s zero-Covid policy
2 years, 1 month ago

How a deadly fire ignited dissent over China’s zero-Covid policy

CNN  

CNN — Stunning scenes of dissent and defiance played out across China over the past week, marking the country’s largest protests in decades – and an unprecedented challenge to leader Xi Jinping. Residents in other parts of the city broke through lockdown barriers and confronted Covid workers dressed in PPE; at one point, the crowd sang the national anthem, roaring …

Covid restrictions abruptly lifted in China’s Guangzhou and Chongqing after protests
2 years, 1 month ago

Covid restrictions abruptly lifted in China’s Guangzhou and Chongqing after protests

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy China seems to be softening …

How a fire in remote China triggered nationwide covid protests
2 years, 1 month ago

How a fire in remote China triggered nationwide covid protests

Live Mint  

As smoke crept through the 21-story apartment building in far western China, panicked messages filled the residents’ chat group. Pandemic controls imposed by Chinese authorities around, and possibly inside, the apartment building had delayed the fire response, neighbors and family members of those killed have said. Li Wensheng, Urumqi’s fire chief, said at the press briefing that some residents’ “self-rescue …

China protests explode 'harmonious society myth': Tiananmen leader Wang Dan
2 years, 1 month ago

China protests explode 'harmonious society myth': Tiananmen leader Wang Dan

Firstpost  

Wang Dan, who was jailed and then exiled after the 1989 Tiananmen pro-democracy movement was crushed, told reporters in Japan that the string of protests also proved that younger Chinese are not politically apathetic Tokyo: Demonstrations in China sparked by tough anti-Covid policies explode the “myth” of a “harmonious society” and reveal deep discontent with Beijing’s rulers, a leader of …

Anti-Lockdown Protests in China: Reading The Discontent Against Slowdowns, Surveillance, Censorship
2 years, 1 month ago

Anti-Lockdown Protests in China: Reading The Discontent Against Slowdowns, Surveillance, Censorship

ABP News  

As resentment over Xi Jinping’s zero-Covid policy grows nearly three years into the pandemic, a wave of civil disobedience and public protests in mainland China is breaking out. Many people held up white sheets of paper with no writing to symbolise their opposition to censorship while chanting, “Need human rights, need freedom.” Others sang The Internationale, a communist anthem used …

What’s next for China’s anti-lockdown protests?
2 years, 1 month ago

What’s next for China’s anti-lockdown protests?

Al Jazeera  

On Thursday, December 1 at 19:30 GMT: Nearly three years into the pandemic, China continues to enforce strict lockdowns under its “zero-COVID” strategy. Public anger over COVID restrictions has erupted into protests in major cities, and while China has kept its case numbers low compared to other nations, critics including the World Health Organization, believe that government measures have been …

China vows crackdown on 'hostile forces' as public tests Xi
2 years, 1 month ago

China vows crackdown on 'hostile forces' as public tests Xi

The Hindu  

China’s ruling Communist Party has vowed to “resolutely crack down on infiltration and sabotage activities by hostile forces,” following the largest street demonstrations in decades staged by citizens fed up with strict anti-virus restrictions. “The meeting emphasized that political and legal organs must take effective measures to … resolutely safeguard national security and social stability," the statement said. “Zero COVID” …

China vows crackdown on ‘hostile forces’ as public tests Xi
2 years, 1 month ago

China vows crackdown on ‘hostile forces’ as public tests Xi

Associated Press  

BEIJING — China’s ruling Communist Party has vowed to “resolutely crack down on infiltration and sabotage activities by hostile forces,” following the largest street demonstrations in decades by citizens fed up with strict anti-virus restrictions. “The meeting emphasized that political and legal organs must take effective measures to … resolutely safeguard national security and social stability,” the statement said. On …

Fresh clashes in China’s Guangzhou despite ‘clear warning’ to Covid protesters
2 years, 1 month ago

Fresh clashes in China’s Guangzhou despite ‘clear warning’ to Covid protesters

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Fresh clashes between protesters and …

'Can you repeat the question?' China official after long pause on Covid protest question. Watch video
2 years, 1 month ago

'Can you repeat the question?' China official after long pause on Covid protest question. Watch video

Hindustan Times  

As China is grappling with the massive public protests against Xi Jinping's lockdown orders, foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said China is following a 'dynamic zero covid policy' and there is no public anger. China foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian continued looking at the papers in front of him for almost 20 seconds. The question was: "Given the widespread display …

China COVID protests die down, but policy resentment remains
2 years, 1 month ago

China COVID protests die down, but policy resentment remains

Al Jazeera  

Bill was standing with a group of people mostly in their 20s when a young woman started to lead the chanting. “If you’ve been following Chinese politics for long enough, you have to wonder whether the anti-lockdown protests are getting near the point where serious top-down nationwide crackdown becomes pretty much inevitable,” Taisu Zhang, a professor at Yale Law School, …

China vows crackdown on ‘hostile forces’ following protests over COVID policy
2 years, 1 month ago

China vows crackdown on ‘hostile forces’ following protests over COVID policy

LA Times  

A protester in Hong Kong holds up a sheet of paper that says, “Not foreign forces but internal forces,” and that denounces government abuse of power. China’s ruling Communist Party has vowed to “resolutely crack down on infiltration and sabotage activities by hostile forces,” following the largest street demonstrations in decades staged by citizens fed up with strict anti-coronavirus restrictions. …

China hints at relaxing zero-Covid policy amid global outcry over crackdown on protests
2 years, 1 month ago

China hints at relaxing zero-Covid policy amid global outcry over crackdown on protests

Hindustan Times  

China on Tuesday said it will take steps to “minimise” the impact of its draconian coronavirus lockdowns, amidst the unprecedented public protests against President Xi Jinping’s stringent zero-COVID policy that evoked strong support from the UN, the US and other nations. Seeking to address international concerns, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China has been adjusting the zero-Covid policy based …

China protesters facing off with police draw comparisons with Tiananmen's 'tank man'
2 years, 1 month ago

China protesters facing off with police draw comparisons with Tiananmen's 'tank man'

Daily Mail  

Protesters defying China's brutal Communist regime and its hash zero-Covid policies are being compared to Tiananmen Square's famous 'tank man' in a move sure to send shivers down spines in Beijing. A Chinese man protesting against Xi Jinping's increasingly autocratic rule of the country faces off against a police riot van in footage thought to have come from Shanghai at …

Twitter searches for China COVID-19 protests bombarded by spam, porn
2 years, 1 month ago

Twitter searches for China COVID-19 protests bombarded by spam, porn

Firstpost  

For the past few days, searches in Chinese for major protest hotspots, including Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Guangzhou, show a nonstop stream of solicitations, images of scantily clad women in suggestive poses and seemingly random word and sentence fragments Beijing: In what appears to be an attempt by the Chinese government or its allies to wipe out images of the …

Dating apps and Telegram: How protesters in China are defying authorities
2 years, 1 month ago

Dating apps and Telegram: How protesters in China are defying authorities

The Hindu  

Opponents of China's anti-COVID measures are resorting to dating apps and social media platforms blocked on the mainland to evade censors, spread the word about their defiance and strategy, in a high-tech game of cat and mouse with police. Videos, images and accounts of the opposition to China's tough COVID-19 curbs have poured onto China's tightly censored cyberspace since weekend …

China lockdown protests pause as police flood city streets
2 years, 1 month ago

China lockdown protests pause as police flood city streets

Associated Press  

HONG KONG — With police out in force, there was no word of additional protests against strict government anti-pandemic measures Tuesday in Beijing, as temperatures fell well below freezing. Hiding their faces to avoid official retaliation, the students chanted, “No PCR tests but freedom!” and “Oppose dictatorship, don’t be slaves!” The gathering and a similar one elsewhere in Hong Kong …

Analysis: China protests highlight Xi's Covid policy dilemma - to walk it back or not
2 years, 1 month ago

Analysis: China protests highlight Xi's Covid policy dilemma - to walk it back or not

India Today  

The rare street protests that erupted in cities across China over the weekend were a referendum against President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy and the strongest public defiance during his political career, China analysts said. "During Xi Jinping’s 10 years in power, these are the most public and most widespread displays of anger by the citizenry against government policy," said Bates …

Dating apps and Telegram: How China protesters are defying authorities
2 years, 1 month ago

Dating apps and Telegram: How China protesters are defying authorities

India Today  

Opponents of China's anti-Covid measures are resorting to dating apps and social media platforms blocked on the mainland to evade censors, spread the word about their defiance and strategy, in a high-tech game of cat and mouse with police. Videos, images and accounts of the opposition to China's tough Covid-19 curbs have poured onto China's tightly censored cyberspace since weekend …

Top Chinese security body calls for ‘crackdown’ after protests
2 years, 1 month ago

Top Chinese security body calls for ‘crackdown’ after protests

Al Jazeera  

Chinese universities send students home and police fan out in Beijing and Shanghai to prevent more protests. The Communist Party’s top security body has called for a “crackdown” on “hostile forces” after China saw protests in major cities against COVID-19 lockdowns and in support of greater political freedoms. The Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, which oversees all domestic law …

Explained | Not all protests in China are linked to Covid
2 years, 1 month ago

Explained | Not all protests in China are linked to Covid

India Today  

The series of protests and demonstrations carried out by students and citizens across China may look on the outside as one that is choreographed and synchronized as an attempt by its citizens to break the shackles of the Zero Covid policy chains. His detention came after he began writing petitions to Shanghai’s ruling CCP secretary, Li Qiang, calling on him …

DC Edit | Will protests compel Xi to dilute ‘Covid Zero’ policy?
2 years, 1 month ago

DC Edit | Will protests compel Xi to dilute ‘Covid Zero’ policy?

Deccan Chronicle  

Barely a month has passed since Xi Jinping became a kind of perpetual leader going into an unprecedented third term as Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, but he is already facing a new challenge in the form of rising public anger against the “Covid Zero” policy. Protests have been all too rare in President Xi’s 10 years as his …

China Covid protests 'are greatest threat to Xi's rule that he has ever faced'
2 years, 1 month ago

China Covid protests 'are greatest threat to Xi's rule that he has ever faced'

Daily Mail  

Xi Jinping is facing the greatest threat to his rule to date as a 'pressure cooker' of anger fuelled by Covid lockdowns explodes across China in mass demonstrations calling on him to resign, an expert has told MailOnline. Hazmat-suited workers are seen on the streets of Beijing as China cracks down on one of its largest outbreaks of Covid to …

'Oppose dictatorship': Protests in Hong Kong over China’s COVID rules
2 years, 1 month ago

'Oppose dictatorship': Protests in Hong Kong over China’s COVID rules

Firstpost  

The gathering and a similar one elsewhere in Hong Kong were the biggest protests there in more than a year under rules imposed to crush a pro-democracy movement in the territory, which is Chinese but has a separate legal system from the mainland Hong Kong: Students in Hong Kong chanted “oppose dictatorship” in a protest against China’s COVID rules Monday …

China’s Xi faces threat from public anger over ‘zero COVID’
2 years, 1 month ago

China’s Xi faces threat from public anger over ‘zero COVID’

Associated Press  

SHANGHAI — Barely a month after granting himself new powers as China’s potential leader for life, Xi Jinping is facing a wave of public anger of the kind not seen for decades, sparked by his “zero COVID” strategy that will soon enter its fourth year. While the ruling party says anti-coronavirus measures should be “targeted and precise” and cause the …

Xi's Iron Grip Tested, Urumqi Blaze Tragedy Sparks Fiery anti-Lockdown Protests in China
2 years, 1 month ago

Xi's Iron Grip Tested, Urumqi Blaze Tragedy Sparks Fiery anti-Lockdown Protests in China

News 18  

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s iron grip is being tested in his country as protests have broken out against his stringent Covid lockdown policy. Hundreds of people took to the streets in China’s major cities on Sunday to protest against the country’s zero-Covid policy with a rare outpouring of public anger against the state. A deadly fire on Thursday in Urumqi, …

Discover Related