Beijing protest against Covid-19 rules and leadership finds support among overseas Chinese

Protest posters put up near Amsterdam’s train station by postgraduate student Yi Senni. - YI SENNI

BEIJING (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): The rallying cries from a rare protest in Beijing last week criticising China’s strict Covid-19 approach and the country’s leader Xi Jinping have been taken up by young Chinese across the world, even as the Chinese authorities attempt to wipe out any mention on Chinese social media.

Posters with slogans such as “We want freedom, not lockdowns”, “We want dignity, no more lies”, and “We want to be citizens, not slaves” have been put up by overseas Chinese students on university bulletin boards, lamp posts and in train stations, echoing their discontent with the political leadership back at home.