Who is China's 'Bridge Man' inspiring anti-Xi Jinping protests across the globe?

A rare one-man protest against Xi Jinping, the President of China, has inspired solidarity protests around the world. The events unfolded last Thursday, October 13, after a man strung banners across a bridge in Beijing accusing Xi Jinping of being a dictator. The man was subsequently detained but photos of his action have been spread around the world as China's party Congress is set to meet this week.

Now being touted as the "Bridge Man", the unidentified male has been the subject of extensive online investigations into his identity, reported BBC. Moreover, the mystery protester is also being compared to the famous "Tank Man", the unknown Chinese individual who stood in front of a line of tanks during the Tiananmen protests that ultimately turned into a massacre after the Chinese regime ordered the military to open fire on peaceful protesters that had gathered at Tiananmen Square. The protesters were fired upon by Chinese tanks and soldiers carrying assault rifles.

Activists concerned for Bridge man’s safety

Internet sleuths have identified the mysterious lone protester as a researcher and physicist hailing from a village in the northern province of Heilongjiang. They further tracked down his social media profiles which are said to include two Twitter accounts, reported the BBC.

However, previous posts from one of the accounts were cleared on the weekend, and a new tweet was posted. It was a line from Sun Yat-sen's will. Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese revolutionary who dedicated his life to seeking freedom and equality in China.  

Activists across the globe have praised the Bridge Man for protesting against ‘Chinese dictator’ Xi Jinping while some have expressed fears for the welfare of the unidentified demonstrator.

The events unfolded after the individual disguised himself as a roadside worker on October 13, yelled slogans into a loudspeaker and set tires on fire on China’s Sitong bridge in the Haidian district of Beijing, reported BBC. Videos from the scene showed the man being apprehended by police officers and taken into a car.

Implications of “Bridge man’s” protests

The protest by the unidentified man was apparently against China’s rigid zero-COVID policy. According to the BBC, the individual had posted an apparent manifesto on ResearchGate, a popular research site. However, it was later taken down, reported the BBC.

Since the development, signs and messages similar to the “Bridge Man’s” protests have appeared on several university campuses in the UK, US, Europe, Australia and elsewhere.

"We, people of China, want to spread this message that speaks our mind in places without censorship,” stated one handwritten sign at Colby College in the US state of Maine while praising the Beijing man's action, stated BBC.

On social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, several activism accounts from China have urged followers to heed the Beijing protester's rallying cry "to strike" and take action during the week of the Communist Party congress.

Meanwhile, the after-effects of the protest by the lone man sparked a swift crackdown online, with all footage, pictures and keywords such as “Beijing protester", "Haidian", " and "Sitong bridge" scrubbed from social media platforms in China. Moreover, security in Beijing has been heightened in the days following the protest, with extra police and personnel stationed at bridges across the city.