China's Protests: Twitter Coverage Part 1
"Even if its for one night, it is also very different from before."
William Yang@WilliamYang120
Thanks to the bravery of some Chinese citizens who participated in the protest calling for an end to the lockdown in #China's #Shanghai just a few hours ago, here are some of their reflections on the protest:
1:29 AM · Nov 27, 2022
383 Reposts · 1.47K Likes
William Yang@WilliamYang120
"I didn't expect the online protests to be non-stop and when people took to the street in Urumqi on Friday night, I was really touched and moved. I felt that this time, things were really different. Even if it's for one night, it is also very different from before."
2:41 AM · Nov 27, 2022
25 Reposts · 144 Likes
William Yang@WilliamYang120
More from protesters who participated in #Shanghai's protest: "The main demand was to put an end to the zero-Covid measures. Some people expressed their dissatisfaction with the Communist Party, while others mourned the death of those in the fire in Urumqi."
2:44 AM · Nov 27, 2022
22 Reposts · 116 Likes
Tony Lin 林東尼@tony_zy
One good thing this site actually facilitates: in the past 48 hrs, numerous mini-protests took place across various Chinese college campus against zero COVID policy. Many are censored but they ended up on Twitter, then ppl get to smuggle them back behind GFW, even just briefly
2:54 PM · Nov 26, 2022
391 Reposts · 1.1K Likes
Emily Feng 冯哲芸@EmilyZFeng
Tsinghua university right now👇🏼 city after city seeing protests small and large against Zero Covid policies and against excesses of Communist Party rule - every hour there seems to be a new one
7:33 AM · Nov 27, 2022
3.81K Reposts · 11.6K Likes
James Millward 米華健@JimMillward
Some thoughts for how to try to think about and report the story of the 11-24 Urumchi fire and wave of protests across PRC opposing zero-Covid policies (a thread).
3:45 PM · Nov 26, 2022
196 Reposts · 586 Likes
James Millward 米華健@JimMillward
4. Be aware of / reflect in reporting, the many parallels and connections between zero Covid policies and the on-going state mass repression of Uyghurs. They are connected in many ways.
Rhetorically: "Draconian measures necessary to absolutely exterminate a [thought] virus."
3:45 PM · Nov 26, 2022
22 Reposts · 111 Likes
James Millward 米華健@JimMillward
5. While exploring connections, be aware of differences between Xinjiang, Tibet, other places in state of exception, and Han China. Xinjiang has been under lockdown since August--longer than the Shanghai lockdown which was resisted and reported on.
3:45 PM · Nov 26, 2022
14 Reposts · 80 Likes
James Millward 米華健@JimMillward
Many in Xinjiang may remember the notorious 1994 Xinjiang Karamay fire which killed over 300 children, who had to remain seated while visiting officials were allowed to exit the burning building first (讓領導先走!) Children dying in a burning building has special resonance in XJ
3:45 PM · Nov 26, 2022
39 Reposts · 164 Likes
A bit of levity
Victor Shih@vshih2
Love this one from wechat
9:30 PM · Nov 26, 2022
31 Reposts · 205 Likes
Translation:
“How powerful are international anti-Chinese forces?
The international community, in order to to trick China, spent $2bn to organize a 28-day fake World Cup.
But, China sees through the plot and its team didn’t participate. Otherwise, the consequences would have been too awful to contemplate.”
Jordan Schneider@jordanschnyc
Some official thought it would be a good idea to take down the “Urumqi Street”sign where protests were held last night
Now my whole WeChat timeline is laughing at it
2:57 PM · Nov 27, 2022
1 Repost · 9 Likes
Let the memes commence:
Mao@Maoviews
境外勢力偷走了烏魯木齊中路。
2:59 PM · Nov 27, 2022
6 Reposts · 58 Likes
Another photo is going around of someone bringing an alpaca to Urumqi Street in Shanghai, close enough to a “草泥马”, ‘grass mud horse’ which sounds like ‘fuck your mother’ in Chinese. No idea when this was taken though.
赛先生的小迷弟🇺🇦@TruthOfFinance
刚才在推特空间讲过，乌鲁木齐中路的抗议活动将会很快被严厉镇压下去。这无关政治倾向，只是残酷的政治现实。当然，这种带羊驼逛街的行为更具智慧。
10:51 AM · Nov 27, 2022
11 Reposts · 149 Likes
This is great - thanks !