Since a deadly fire broke out in Urumqi, Xinjiang, people across China and students at multiple universities have staged protests throughout China in a magnitude not seen since 1989. In Shanghai, people protesting even chanted the slogan “Communist Party step down, Xi Jinping step down”.
On the evening of November 24, a fire broke out in a building in the Jixiangyuan Community in Urumqi, Xinjiang. The residents of the building were locked with iron wires due to the closed control policy and could not escape from the building. The fire brigade was also blocked by the closed iron fence and could not enter the community in time. This sheer negligence of Chinese government resulted in the death of more than 10 people including children. This tragedy has ignited the anger of the Chinese people. They have already been overwhelmed by the economic and physical damage caused by the lockdown.
To everyone’s surprise, on November 26, people in Shanghai gathered on Urumqi Middle Road to mourn the death of innocent live in Urumqi. During the mourning activities, the people shouted the slogans “Communist Party step down” and “Xi Jinping step down” for the first time. Chinese people raising slogan “Xi Jinping step down” is of great significance and have never been heard of before. This shows Chinese people don’t approve the happenings in the 20th National congress wherein Xi Jinping consolidated his power and become a full-fledged dictator. The anger and frustration people had with Xi Jinping and the CCP has busted out today. In the past two days, Chinese people have taken to the streets to stage collective protests in more than ten cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Xinjiang, Wuhan, Chengdu, Dali and Lanzhou, raising slogans against Zero-Covid policy and against CCP & Xi Jinping.
This signifies that Chinese people still yearn for freedom and democracy and has the will power to fight for the same. The raising of slogans against Xi Jinping and CCP in multiple public places by large number of people signifies this will power. Last time someone raised such slogans publicly was during the 1989 student movement, but today, after more than 30 years, the Chinese people have shouted this slogan again, which is of special significance, “the most direct challenge over the years against the Communist Party”.
In the past three years, although demonstrations have happened in China against the disproportionate and brutal actions of CCP in the name of COVID lockdowns, these remained as small-scale protests and didn’t gather wider support. Though most of the Chinese people were suffering unbearable pains, they were afraid of the repercussions from CCP and hence didn’t come out in open. But now this fear has gone. The fire in Urumqi became the fuse that ignited the minds of the masses to fight back.
For a long time, only migrant workers and relocated households have protested against the hardships faced by them. They were never joined/supported by the Chinese middle class. Now it is different. This time all the protests in different provinces/cities of China were led by Chinese middle class. The pain endured by middle class in the last three years has crossed its threshold and made them to decide enough is enough.
Since last two days, China has seen the largest protest since the 1989 Democracy Movement. However, background of both these events were very different. During 1989, the overall political climate in China was quite relaxed, especially college students and young people, before the 1989 democracy movement, have expressed their opposition to the status quo in various ways. However, now the situation is completely opposite. China’s political climate today is much worse than it was 30 years ago. With absolute power and technological prowess, CCP can now crush any dissenting voices with strong hands. Even under such circumstances, if such large-scale protests are happening, then it reflects China’s deep-seated problems and the dissatisfaction of Chinese against CCP and Xi Jinping.
Though it would be early to say in which direction these protests would move forward and how effectively the Chinese people could resist the ruthless actions CCP and Xi Jinping would be taking against these peaceful protestors, but one thing is clear, the Chinese people have spoken in clear words. They have shown to the world that Xi Jinping can take CCP for granted and but not the Chinese people.
It is fact that this would be a big blow to Xi Jinping internationally. His bluff of ‘Rejuvenation of China in the last 10 years’ under his rule has been called by his own people. They have laid the grounds for the future democratic upsurge in China.