Rare protest in Beijing appears to involve disgruntled soldiers
Some 1,000 people, many wearing fatigues with party logo, rally in front of defence ministry headquarters
More than 1,000 protesters gathered in front of China’s defence ministry on Tuesday, the latest apparent demonstration by soldiers as the world’s largest standing military modernises and downsizes.
The protesters stood for several hours in front of the Bayi building in central Beijing, home of the Ministry of National Defence. Many wore green fatigues bearing the hammer-and-sickle logo of the Communist Party.
The purpose of their demonstration was unclear. Protesters declined to be interviewed and censors blocked searches on social media about retired soldiers or the defence ministry.
Hundreds of police and plainclothes security officers surrounded the protesters, hemming them in with buses and police vehicles.
While Chinese authorities routinely suppress discussions about the military and soldiers’ issues, one human-rights activist, Huang Qi, said that veterans had staged more than 50 protests this year alone. However, demonstrations on such a large scale are extremely rare in the centre of the heavily policed capital.
Two demonstrators said they were veterans who wanted the government to address military pensions, but they did not want to discuss the issue with foreign media. The protesters declined to give their names.