I spoke to four young Chinese residents, who joined various protests in #Shanghai, Zhuhai and Chengdu over the weekend. Few are under the illusion the protests would lead to meaningful changes, but here's their experience and what they have to say: vice.com/en/article/qjk…
One said most just want to resume a normal life, but she yearns for much more: freedom of speech, an end to the crackdown on Xinjiang, release of activists, feminists, lawyers who have been arrested in recent years. “But just having a normal life feels like a distant hope.”
“I want to stand with those who are courageous and do what I can to help them,” said another protester in Shanghai, who narrowly avoided escape on the first night and returned to the same site the next day to find even more people gathered.
One in #Chengdu ran for his life, when police officers blocked mobile signals, turned off the lights and began nabbing protesters in the dark. “The crowd was in total panic. The road was covered in trampled flowers,” he said.
Qizi, a university student, put up memos on campus, even tho her peers weren't aware of the fire or the protests. “It doesn’t matter if a few days later, people begin to worship the Party again...this collective action is a breakthrough that will stay in people’s memories.”
Also many thanks to @roseluqiu, @chenchenzh and @wjhurst for sharing their insights on the significance of the latest wave of protests and how grievances against the country's zero-COVID policy have united people across social, regional boundaries.
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