By Yusufjan
(A Translation of an article in Uyghur Times Uyghur Edition)
The recent fire in Urumqi caused a wave of protests against the Chinese regime, the Uyghur Times Uyghur Edition says. Hundreds in China have commemorated those who died in the fire, as well as protested against the rigid covid restrictions and demanded a change in the Chinese leadership.
The night after the fire, hundreds of Urumqi residents took to the streets and demanded the authorities cancel the lockdown policy implemented under the pretext of the virus. The demonstration continued until late at night. Videos on social media show how the local police used large units to quell the protests. At the same time, there were parallel demonstrations in Yining, Korla, Hotan, and other cities. It appears that the majority of the participants in the protest were Han Chinese. According to information received since November 27, the authorities have partially relaxed the lockdown policy.
On November 26, information spread through social networks revealed that thousands of Chinese people had gathered to protest on “Urumchi Road” in Shanghai. During the demonstration, they shouted slogans such as “Freedom for citizens” and some videos: “Let Xi Jinping step down!” or “Let the Communist Party fall from the throne!” The slogans shouted by some Chinese citizens for the first time since the establishment of the Chinese Communist regime quickly became a hot topic in the international media. At the end of the protest, scenes of Shanghai police violently abducting protesters and even forcibly tearing down billboards have spread on the Internet.
In addition, in Beijing, there were videos of people gathering in Tiananmen Square to protest. According to AFP, the Nanjing Institute of Journalism, Beijing Central Art Institute, “Nanjing Forestry University, “Sichuan Film and Television Institute, and other universities in China took part in the protests.
By November 27, protests had spread to various Chinese provinces within China under the collective name of the ‘White Paper Revolution’.
The sparks of the protests have spread to other countries as well. Since November 25, Turkey, Germany, Japan, the United States, France, and the Netherlands have held separate commemoration demonstrations for those who died in the Urumqi fire.
On November 25, Uyghurs living in Turkey gathered in front of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul for a protest. The Turkish government has demanded an explanation from the Chinese government about the fire in Urumqi and demanded that the Uyghurs will be taken care of. On November 26, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressing its concern.
On the same day, approximately one hundred Uyghurs around Washington DC gathered in a protest led by the American Uyghur Union. Those present included the leader of the Uyghur national movement, Ms. Rabia Kadir, camp witnesses, and Uyghur activists. Mr. Tahir Imin, the founder of Uygur News Agency, gave a speech that exposed China’s current crimes.
Similar demonstrations took place in Berlin, Oslo, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, and Melbourne.
On November 27, more than 100 Uyghurs gathered in the “Human Rights” square under the Eiffel Tower in Paris and held a commemorative protest. Local Uyghur supporters, journalists, and supporters from Taiwan and Hong Kong also participated in the event. Those participating cited prayers for our brothers and sisters who had lost their lives.
We understand that for several days, Chinese activist groups around the world have organized similar protests to express their opposition to the policies of the Chinese Communist Party.