China bans anti-Xi Jinping protests, censors social media posts ahead of CCP meet

Ahead of the much-awaited Congress event, China has been witnessing several protests on the streets, with activists putting anti-government posters in major public places and similar trends on social media platforms. However, the government banned all street protests and censored all social media posts that have the potential to put President Xi Jinping in a bad light. Notably, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) meeting is scheduled to begin on October 16, at which President Xi is expected to secure a historic third term.

According to the trend on social media, it is clearly visible that Chinese citizens are not in the mood to give a third chance to President Xi amid his controversial and harsh decisions over COVID-19, back-to-back stringent lockdowns and freedom. The same could be seen on the streets where frustrated citizens put up banners denouncing Jinping's rule. On Thursday, reports emerged on the mainland that two banners had been draped across Sitong bridge - an overpass in the capital's Haiding district. One of the banners, according to online images, called on people to go on strike to "oust the dictator, traitor Xi Jinping."

Authorities ban anti-govt hashtags 

Meanwhile, another banner listed a range of grievances, including harsh measures in lockdown, where people said they want food, not the COVID tests. "We want food, not PCR tests. We want freedom, not lockdowns. We want respect, not lies. We want reform, not Cultural Revolution. We want a vote, not a leader. We want to be citizens, not slaves." However, the anti-government banners were removed quickly on the same day but photos were already being widely shared by netizens.

Chinese authorities banned keywords such as #Haidian, #Sitong bridge, and even #Beijing. Following the censorship, people used another hashtag - #ISawIt - to communicate on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform. However, this too was removed. Social media users decry that their accounts were permanently blocked. When searching for the #ISawIt hashtag on Weibo, the platform showed a message that reads "[A]ccording to relevant laws and regulations, the topic page cannot be displayed," reported HKFP.
Others meanwhile took to Twitter, saying the person who hung the banners was 'brave'.

Image: AP