China: the “toilet revolution” and these discreet protest messages in the public space

Published on: 21/10/2022 – 16:42 Several images that circulated on social networks from October 15, the eve of the opening of the 20th Communist Party Congress, show rare messages of protest in certain public places in China. Graffiti in public restrooms, anti-Xi Jinping posters instantly sent to surrounding phones in the subway or messages printed from a pocket printer: the protest is discreet but real. “Xi Jinping is an emperor without limits”. This message, printed in black characters on a small white label, was pasted on various bus bars, advertising posters and other saddles of Chinese bicycles for rent. “I dare not make large banners” Our Observer L has pasted labels in his city, the name of which he wishes to conceal. I use a pocket label printer, bought less than 100 yuan on Taobao [environ 14 euros, sur l’équivalent d’Amazon en Chine, NDLR]. It’s barely the size of the palm of my hand. I’ll usually stick to places where there’s the most foot traffic, but people rarely pay attention. I also stick on the rental bikes, it’s hard to miss: if you want to borrow the bikes, you will necessarily see my message by scanning the QR code or inspecting the bike. When I started sticking, I was very nervous, I was scared. Then I slowly adapted. I usually glue more than ten a day. In China, showing disagreement can lead to prison terms, especially when President Xi Jinping is targeted. Public opposition is therefore rare. Nevertheless, on October 13, three days before the opening of the 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, a solitary demonstrator later identified as “Peng Lifa” unfurled two banners on one of the main axes of Beijing. criticizing “dictator Xi Jinping” and the country’s health situation. He was then arrested by the police. His fate is currently unknown. All images and mentions of the event have been censored on Chinese social media. >> READ ON THE OBSERVERS: “Remove dictator Xi Jinping”: images show a rare demonstration in Beijing Our Observer began to sow his protest labels shortly after this episode: The hero of the Sitong Bridge is very brave, and his fate is just as tragic, he was unable (or wanted) to evacuate in time. I don’t have a huge power, but I have a small power. I dare not make big banners, but I dare to make small ones. I have carefully assessed that these small banners are very hard to draw and very easy to use. The initiative was relayed on Twitter, in particular by Fengsuo Zhou, former student leader of the Tian’anmen Square demonstrations in 1989. “It takes a lot of courage and ingenuity to demonstrate in this way”Contacted by our editorial staff, Fengsuo Zhou explains that the label sticker shared his idea during a Twitter discussion involving more than 600 people that aimed to find ways to bring Peng Lifa’s message to life. The pocket printer is easy to carry and hide from cameras, printing is quick, immediate, making it the best choice for sticking up posters in public spaces. But I wouldn’t be surprised if China ends up banning pocket printers. Given the rampant surveillance in China, it takes a lot of courage and ingenuity to protest like this. Many are inspired by Sitong Bridge protester Peng Lifa. He conveyed the message that you can always find a way to do something with careful planning if you’re brave enough.”The Toilet Revolution” Since October 13, images show other forms of tributes and support to the “hero of the bridge” on Chinese territory. The American media Vice reports, for example, that anti-Xi Jinping signs were sent by a nearby phone via Airdrop, an instant sending function on iPhones, to a subway user in Shanghai. Other photos appeared on the social networks from October 15 show protest tags or posters in Chinese public toilets. On Twitter, the phenomenon has been called “the toilet revolution”.北京公厕惊现彭载舟六大诉求。接下来也给每个公厕派两个护厕员。 pic.twitter.com/vkkdHiaH1n—方舟子October 20, 2019 These images of the cinemas showed them from Beijing. The tags and posters call for opposition to the regime and echo the messages of the lone protester on October 13 in Beijing. These photos would have been taken in Beijing, Shanghai or Chengdu. But they nevertheless remain difficult to geolocate with precision, given that they show an interior space, in a very tight plan. It can be noted, however, that the indicative signs that appear in some photos are written in simplified Chinese, only used in mainland China. several of these images, which were sent directly to them, for the most part. Valentina (pseudonym) is one of the Chinese students who manage this page, who like her, mostly live outside the country. I was surprised to see the extent of graffiti images in Chinese toilets. This may not seem risky, since there are (for now) no surveillance cameras in public toilets, but it’s still quite extraordinary considering what happens to people who express their disagreement publicly in China. The first, second and tenth images were taken in a Chinese toilet according to “Citizen daily”. The tags and posters take up Peng Lifa’s message, criticizing the government and its management of the Covid and calling for the dismissal of Xi Jinping. There’s always been some criticism online, especially since the pandemic hit, but I’ve never seen people do this kind of action. Or maybe people did, but failed to get the images out on social media. I think this shows how fed up the Chinese are with Xi Jinping. Valentina specifies that the majority of protest images relayed by the Citizen Daily account come from Chinese students living abroad. “Citizen Daily” has counted 320 universities around the world that have registered protest displays on their campuses. She stresses that these acts of protest are not without risk for Chinese citizens living abroad, who have family in the country and who can return there. After the Sitong Bridge incident, we began to receive photographs and posters from Chinese people studying or working abroad, expressing their support for this anonymous citizen. So we created a few posters and we are getting more and more. The level of creativity is simply amazing. “Our project reflects the struggles an ordinary Chinese person has to go through to express their opinions. People’s creativity [pour contourner la censure] is infinite. I’m sure that even if all the methods we know today end up being banned, we can find new ways to get our message across. It will be difficult, but not impossible. I think it is essential to archive our efforts to continue to remind everyone that the fight is still ongoing and that we are not alone. Many people are fighting alongside us.