According to a tweet by Beijing-based journalist Stephen McDonnel, the banners had slogans that opposed China’s Zero Covid policy, calling for a lockdown and promoting the need for a ‘revolutionary change’. Another banner also called Xi a ‘dictatorial traitor’.
Two protest banners were hung on a #Beijing Third Ring Road bridge today. There was also a fire. The banners opposed Zero #Covid measures, calling for an end to lockdowns, promoting revolutionary change in this country adding “we need to vote; we don’t want to be slaves”. #China https://t.co/Vdb64jjaFv — Stephen McDonell (@StephenMcDonell) October 13, 2022
Days before he is set to be re-elected at the 20th congress of the ruling Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping was left red-faced after protesting banners calling for his ouster surfaced in Beijing.
According to a tweet by a Beijing-based journalist, the banners had slogans that opposed China’s Zero Covid policy, calling for a lockdown and promoting the need for a ‘revolutionary change’. Another banner also called Xi a ‘dictatorial traitor’.
According to a report, the authorities later removed the banners after the videos and images circulated on social media.
Smoke was seen billowing from the roadway where the banners had been placed before being removed in the Haidian district.
“Let us strike from schools and from work and remove the dictatorial traitor Xi Jinping,” one of the slogans according to a media report.
“We don’t want COVID tests, we want to eat; we don’t want lockdowns, we want to be free”, another banner read.
Due to the harsh Covid measures, economic growth has stalled while the real estate downturn is not going in the Jinping administration’s favor.
As expected, Jinping’s election will break the strict two five-year tenure limits set by his successors which were practiced to avoid any ‘danger’ of a one-party state being dominated by a single leader.
Under Jinping, China’s aggression towards Taiwan has soured the relations between Washington DC and Beijing. The relations with neighbour India are also tensed following the 2020 Galwan clashes. India along with Australia, Japan and US have formed Quad as an effort to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific against the belligerent China.
China has also been accused of massive human rights violations and oppression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang province.
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