Opinion | 'I am scared': Chinese creator of White House petition seeks help after police visit
Blogger was garnering support against controversial petrochemical plant in Pengzhou
When a Chengdu blogger created a White House petition last week against a controversial petrochemical plant in Pengzhou, the young woman wasn’t expecting a response from security agents back at home.
“Please delete the petition,” a security agent told the blogger. The blogger, who did not want to be named, told the South China Morning Post that the agent had tracked her down from her registration information on Weibo and invited her to "tea", an euphemism for a police interrogation. The agent had insisted that she withdraw the post from the White House website, she said.
But the US website does not allow petitions to be deleted. Frustrated and fearing retaliation, the blogger posted again on Weibo:
“Help needed! Will someone please tell me how to delete a White House petition? The police have talked to me, and I am scared.”
Another blogger responded: “Looks like you need to start another White House petition to have the first one deleted.”
The post seeking help was deleted by censors two days later.