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Protesters around the world rally behind Covid demonstrators in China
Hundreds join US rallies as China cracks down on Covid protests
- Expatriates, students and supporters in the United States stage protests in response to Beijing’s crackdown on unrest in China
- Beijing has moved swiftly to smother protests across the country, as frustration over heavy-handed Covid rules boils over
Hundreds of people gathered on Tuesday at Harvard University and near Chinese consulates in New York and Chicago to support protesters who have called for China’s leader to step down amid severe antivirus restrictions in the biggest demonstrations against the government in Beijing in decades.
About 50 protesters, mostly students at the elite Ivy League school, sang songs in both Chinese and English and chanted slogans in both languages, including: “We are not slaves, we are citizens!” “We don’t want dictatorships, we want elections!” and “Step down, Xi Jinping”, a reference to China’s president.
Many who had gathered at the statue of university namesake John Harvard wore masks – not because of Covid-19 but concerned that if they are recognised by Chinese authorities, their families back home would face repercussions.
Relatives could face harassment or even lose a job, said Wayne, a Harvard graduate student from China participating in the demonstration who did not want his full name used out of concern for relatives at home.
In New York, about 400 people gathered across the street from the consulate, holding signs saying “Citizen Dignity Freedom” and “Free China”.
In Chicago, about 200 demonstrators gathered in front of the Chinese consulate. Some chanted: “We don’t want PCR tests, we want food!” and “We don’t want a dictator, we want votes!”
China’s security chief vows crackdown on ‘hostile forces’ after protests
Protesters brought flowers, lit candles, and blocked their faces with signs, masks and with blank sheets of paper, which Chinese protesters have used as a symbol of defiance of government censorship.
“I came because I want to do everything I can to help my people,” said a 21-year-old dressed in a hazmat suit, a reference to the suits worn by people who administer mandatory Covid-19 tests in China.
She asked to be identified only as a performance artist because her parents are members of the Chinese Communist Party and she has concerns they could face arrest if she was identified.
“They would be very worried” if they knew she was protesting, she said.
Chinese authorities’ restrictive zero-Covid strategy has led to demonstrations in at least eight mainland cities and Hong Kong. They have been called the most widespread protests since the 1989 student-led Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement.
Some Chinese universities have sent students home and police fanned out in Beijing and Shanghai to prevent more protests Tuesday. Security forces detained an unknown number of people and stepped up surveillance.
A protest also was held at Columbia University on Monday, and demonstrations supporting the Chinese people have either been held or are planned at other US universities in the coming days.
Brabeeba Wang, a former Harvard student who is now studying neuroscience at the nearby Massachusetts Institute of Technology, went unmasked and played his violin to accompany the singing.
“It’s great to see people fight for their freedom and fight for their freedom of speech,” said Wang, originally from Taiwan.
He called the protesters in China “courageous” for standing up to the government.
