World

Report: Dozens of Chinese Activists in Jasmine Revolution Go Missing, Detained

BEIJING – Jittery Chinese authorities wary of any domestic dissent staged a concerted show of force Sunday to squelch a mysterious online call for a “Jasmine Revolution” apparently modeled after pro-democracy demonstrations sweeping the Middle East.

Authorities detained activists, increased the number of police on the streets, disconnected some mobile phone text messaging services and censored Internet postings about the call to stage protests at 2 p.m. in Beijing, Shanghai and 11 other major cities.

The campaign did not gain much traction among ordinary citizens and the chances of overthrowing the Communist government are slim, considering Beijing’s tight controls over the media and Internet. A student-led, pro-democracy movement in 1989 was crushed by the military and hundreds, perhaps thousands, were killed.

On Sunday, police took at least three people away in Beijing, one of whom tried to lay down white jasmine flowers while hundreds of people milled about the protest gathering spot, outside a McDonald‘s on the capital’s busiest shopping street. In Shanghai, police led away three people near the planned protest spot after they scuffled in an apparent bid to grab the attention of passers-by.

Many activists said they didn‘t know who was behind the campaign and weren’t sure what to make of the call to protest, which first circulated Saturday on the U.S.-based, Chinese-language news website Boxun.com.

The unsigned notice called for a “Jasmine revolution” — the name given to the Tunisian protest movement — and urged people “to take responsibility for the future.” Participants were urged to shout, “We want food, we want work, we want housing, we want fairness” — a slogan that highlights common complaints among Chinese.

The call is likely to fuel anxiety among China’s authoritarian government, which is ever alert for domestic discontent and has appeared unnerved by recent protests in Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, Yemen, Algeria and Libya. It has limited media reports about them, stressing the instability caused by the protests, and restricted Internet searches to keep Chinese uninformed about Middle Easterners’ grievances against their autocratic rulers.

On Saturday in a speech to national and provincial officials, President Hu Jintao ordered them to “solve prominent problems which might harm the harmony and stability of the society.”

China‘s extensive filtering and monitoring of the Internet meant that most Chinese were unlikely to know about Saturday’s call to protest. Boxun.com, for example, is blocked as are Twitter and Facebook, which were instrumental in Egypt’s protest movement. Still, young tech-smart Chinese are savvy about getting around controls.

One person sitting in the McDonald‘s after the brief protest in Beijing said he saw Sunday’s gathering as a dry run.

“Lots of people in here are Twitter users and came to watch like me,” said 42-year-old Hu Di. “Actually this didn’t have much organization, but it’s a chance to meet each other. It’s like preparing for the future.”

With foot traffic always heavy at the Wangfujing pedestrian mall, it was difficult to discern who showed up to protest, who came to watch and who was out shopping. Rubberneckers outnumbered any potential protesters. Many wondered if there was a celebrity in the area because of the heavy police presence and dozens of foreign reporters and news cameras.

As the crowd swelled back and forth and police urged people to move on, 25-year-old Liu Xiaobai placed a white jasmine flower on a planter in front of the McDonald’s and took some photos with his cell phone.

“I’m quite scared because they took away my phone. I just put down some white flowers, what’s wrong with that?” Liu said afterward. “I’m just a normal citizen and I just want peace.”

Security agents tried to take away Liu, but he was swarmed by journalists and eventually was seen walking away with a friend.

Two other people were taken away by police, including a shabbily dressed old man who was cursing and shouting, though it wasn’t clear if he was there because of the online call to protest.

In Shanghai, three young men were taken away from outside a Starbucks coffee shop in People’s Square by police, who refused to answer reporters’ questions about why they were detained. They trio had been shouting complaints about the government and that food prices are too high.

A couple dozen older people were drawn to the commotion and started voicing their own complaints and saying they wanted democracy and the right to vote. One woman jumped up on a roadside cement block to shout, “The government are all hooligans,” then ran off, only to return a bit later and shout again at the police and others crowded in the area before once again scampering away.

Security officials were relaxed toward the retirees and the crowd eventually drifted away.

There were no reports of protests in other cities where people were urged to gather, such as Guangzhou, Tianjin, Wuhan and Chengdu.

Ahead of the planned protests, human rights groups estimated that anywhere from several dozen to more than 100 activists in cities across China were detained by police, confined to their homes or were missing. Families and friends reported the detention or harassment of several dissidents, and some activists said they were warned not to participate.

On Sunday, searches for “jasmine” were blocked on China’s largest Twitter-like microblog, and status updates with the word on popular Chinese social networking site Renren.com were met with an error message and a warning to refrain from postings with “political, sensitive … or other inappropriate content.”

A mass text messaging service from China Mobile was unavailable in Beijing on Sunday due to an upgrade, according to a customer service operator for the leading service provider, who did not know how long the suspension would last. In the past, Chinese authorities have suspended text messaging in politically tense areas to prevent organizing.

Boxun.com said its website was attacked by hackers Saturday after it posted the call to protest. A temporary site, on which users were reporting heavy police presence in several cities, was up and running Sunday. The site said in a statement it had no way of verifying the origins of the campaign.

Comments (48)

  • Msingwe
    Posted on February 21, 2011 at 4:30pm

    I do not believe in democracy as a form of government. It always leads to mob rule or rule by a clique or a strong-man, witness the French revolution. I believe in republican federalism, where the greatest power is held at the local level while only certain powers are delegated up the line to state and Federation. Too many people do not know the difference.

    Report Post » Msingwe  
  • Endstatism
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:52pm

    Too bad we cant send all of our socialists and progressives to China and other controlled societies starting with Drummond Pike. Erica Payne, George Soros, Tides Foundation and Democracy Alliance. You would think they would be happy about being controlled in every aspect of life except it would make them angry that America is still free..

    Report Post » Endstatism  
  • ICANHANDLETHETRUTH
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:33pm

    They probably have been killed…………………

    Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:21pm

    Good luck Chinese people but remember, those Chicom tanks have lousy brakes.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
  • 9thCommandment
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 7:35pm

    Too many people making good money in Chicom, the only thing that will change is they will lift the ban on Porn.

    Report Post »  
  • SilentReader
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 5:04pm

    It’s interesting that the Obama thugs are not worried about their government takeover.

    Ah, yes. It‘s because the people leading our revolution are the Tea Party and they don’t believe in violence. They believe in revolution through the ballot box. Aren’t they lucky?

    The Tea Party are leading the revolution here in America. It‘s a silent revolution where you won’t see us coming. And it’s going to bring down this Obama thugocracy the right way.

    Report Post » SilentReader  
  • 828 Patriot
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 4:06pm

    China has resisted the call to join the New World Order. Why would they want to when their economy is already booming?

    China is a totalitarian state, the people there do need freedom from that oppression, but Soros, Rockefeller and their cronies will stop at nothing to have a truly one world government. If China won‘t play ball they’ll get a new regime there that will.

    Report Post »  
  • ChiefGeorge
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 3:02pm

    @ABC

    I doesn’t prove anything. Beck was speaking about a particular situation. Now others, for their own reasons have glommed onto their uprisng and basically are cloning it for their own self interests. Your smarter than that.

    Report Post » ChiefGeorge  
  • MetalPatriot
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 2:45pm

    Hey, Jinkx83….that was funny :)

    Report Post » MetalPatriot  
  • jinx83
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 2:18pm

    besides… it’s the right thing to do ^.^

    Report Post »  
  • jinx83
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 2:18pm

    I‘m actually for China’s Gov’t dealing with this in any way they want. >.< someone put this fire out enough is enough.

    Report Post »  
  • wash1776
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 2:15pm

    Maybe Gadhafi and the Chinese leaders can get together and give each other pointers. All of these repressive regimes need to be done away with and I wish the people luck and success.

    Report Post »  
  • Bravo
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 1:51pm

    “We want food, we want work, we want housing, we want fairness”

    I thought in the utopia of Communist China, every citizen had that already?

    Report Post »  
  • N37BU6
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 1:12pm

    Fighting for freedom, eh? Squish ‘em with tanks!

    Report Post » N37BU6  
  • Texas_Tip
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:38pm

    Of note.
    “solve prominent problems which might harm the harmony and stability of the society.”
    Pres. Hu Jintao

    Looks like a job for the Air Force Online Persona Management Service.

    Give ‘em a big dose of PMS boys!!!

    Cheers,
    Tip

    Report Post »  
  • Stehekin37
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:33pm

    Mao once said “you can’t kill all my ants”. Those ants were soldiers. Protesters are less than ants to China. No way will China put up with protesting. The people in Wisconsin are lucky they live in a free society. Too bad the people in Wisconsin don’t appreciate their freedom more.

    Report Post »  
  • ritamweep
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:26pm

    Do we really want left to turn us into China? is this how the left wants to live?

    Report Post » ritamweep  
  • just the facts
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:25pm

    Kind of effective in a brutal sort of a way.

    Report Post »  
  • hauschild
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:23pm

    When a billion people can’t rally and defeat a corrupt government, there is no hope, really.

    America is special. All other countries in the world are not.

    Report Post »  
    • Showtime
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:44pm

      We used to be really special, until somebody got the bright idea of unions. Then ignorant people put a traitor in the White House.

      Report Post » Showtime  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 1:14pm

      @Hauschild

      Yes there is still hope, there always will be. One person in the right place will make the changes happen, and they will take off from there.

      Remember, one man in the middle east nation of Tunisa, fed up and making the ultimate, final protest against his government has set off a chain reaction across many nations. So, for good or bad one persons actions can make the world change.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Bearfoot
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 1:54pm

      Snow,
      People who changed the world:
      Adam and Eve
      Noah and his family
      Abraham and Sarah
      Issac and Jacob
      King David
      Jesus, the Christ of God
      Gutenberg inventing the printing press
      the man who assassinated King Ferdinand sparking WW1
      Hitler, sparking WW2
      Albert Einstein – sparking the atomic age

      Just to name a few.

      Report Post » Bearfoot  
    • Msingwe
      Posted on February 21, 2011 at 5:05pm

      Don’t blame every union. Unions stopped child labor and gave us the eight-hour day as well as OSHA. The problem comes when the membership is lazy and ignores the actions of leadership. You have to put up candidates who are not commies and vote them in. When a corporation is making “record profits” the union should ask for a bigger share for the employees. But when the company or State is facing bankruptcy the union should make concessions to keep on working. It’s that simple.

      Report Post » Msingwe  
  • riseandshine
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:23pm

    seems that revolution is on the march worldwide…but with china, you won’t see trumpka and his comrades say a word…i wonder why that would be

    Report Post » riseandshine  
    • RJinCO
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:39pm

      There’s a historical difference between China and Egypt/ME. In China the protestors want democracy and an end to dictatorial rule. In the ME, the protestors are backed by the communists and theocrats and want to exchange one dictator for another.

      Report Post »  
  • drattastic
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:21pm

    Obama’s wet dream.

    Report Post » drattastic  
    • Showtime
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:25pm

      Hmmmm. The State Flower of South Carolina is the yellow jasmine.

      Report Post » Showtime  
    • sissykatz
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:44pm

      @ Showtime Show do you live in Atlanta? I have noticed some of your posts on different sights and it sounded like it.. I am asking because I am living in Roswell.

      Report Post »  
    • Muggs
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 1:04pm

      I‘m getting the feeling it’s no longer a wet dream…ergo….Facebook – Google – Apple – EtAl…& private meeting with No Transparency in the White House. LOOK OUT AMERICA…..

      Report Post »  
    • weeblewacker1
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 2:38pm

      sooo,buy the looks of things about 98% of the people on here are AGAINST democracy!!! don’t want it in china,the middle east,the muslim world, don’t even want it here in America! why do so many of beck minions hate democracy?? why does it scare them so much? ooohhh i see!! they only want a “democracy” if it only has people that think just like them!! i think they call that a very different thing.. like fascism!!

      Report Post »  
  • roxee
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:13pm

    “The goernment are all hooligans” a protester shouted… that is true world wide!

    Report Post »  
    • roxee
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:19pm

      government (typo)

      Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:36pm

      Yes, government = equal opportunity thiefs and liars.

      At least with the mafia you know the dragon you are dealing with unlike most governments.

      Speaking of the mafia, here is a cute little joke, at least I hope it is cute, and based on the old style Smith and Barney investment commercials…

      (Man sitting on edge of desk: “Here in the mafia, we make the money the old fashion way, we steal it.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • MAJORMINOR
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:38pm

      “hooligans” is being kind to the government officials and employees…but to that little ol’ lady she was being as strong as she dare under the circumstances.

      Report Post » MAJORMINOR  
    • mattsanz
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 3:53pm

      Three questions a free people need to ask themselves. 1) Is Govt evil ? “Government is force; like fire.” George Washington 2) Can… evil do good ? “Power always thinks… that it is doing God’s service when it is violating all his laws.” ……John Adams
      3) If evil attempts to do good, do you support it ? “United States of America does more good in the world than any other Nation” Republlicans….Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.
      Thomas Paine

      Report Post » mattsanz  
  • HUGGINGMYBABIES
    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:12pm

    Can someone call Red Square for me? I need them to come “take care of” our little union goons in Madison :D

    Report Post » HUGGINGMYBABIES  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:19pm

      So we continue to see what becomes of dissidents within china, and Obama wishes to make us into them so any ‘dissidents’ here will be able to be dealt with…I agree with you, there are a number of union and progressive leaders who should be sent to China and declared ‘dissidents’ and taken away into ‘protective custody.’

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:32pm

      @CnsrvtvJ

      Agreed, the unions and other ‘insturments’ they have used will be the first to be gotten rid of; the one thing the lords of China recognize is they are walking on a severe tightrope, give just enough freedom to the people to let them be happy while you still retain the preponderance of control. China has a long history of strong central governments, and times of severe chaos in the culture.

      What the nations leaders there have to remember, and seem to do so, is the spark igniting their own powder keg does not need to be very big.

      And most Americans forget, in the time of Tienaman Square, the reason they showed such restraint in cracking down on the dissidents was Gorbachav happened to be visiting the nation; the night he left, the iron fist of the dragon descended with utter ferocity and no mercy.

      That is the lessons the union people need to understand.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • TurnRight
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:55pm

      This is Net Neutrality at work.

      Report Post »  
    • abc
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 1:47pm

      Funny, I thought these democracy movements were being driven by the socialists and communists, who are aligned with islamists. If they are sprouting up in China, then that DISPROVES Beck and shows what the real experts have been saying: these are organic, local movements occurring because of demographic and technological change. The Blaze is so dim that they highlihght counterexamples to their narrative and do not even notice… Lucky for them that most of their fans are even more clueless…

      Report Post »  
    • cheezwhiz
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 1:58pm

      Lemme guess,
      Hussain will NOT support the protesters of China and Libya , just like he does NOT support the protesters of Iran.
      Now why is that ? What relations do the regimes in China , Libya and Iran have with the communist organizer ?

      Report Post » cheezwhiz  
    • TheLascone
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 2:23pm

      Don’t get the leaders angry in China … http://www.flickr.com/photos/23630227@N06/4175315338/in/photostream/

      Report Post » TheLascone  
    • nptden
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 2:47pm

      Did anyone hear Obama or Hillary, denounce any violence to the Chinese demonstrators? Guess I missed it in the news….Hope Soros didn’t put his money in Shanghai…lol.

      Report Post » nptden  
    • abc
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 3:33pm

      NPT, Soros has an office in HK staffed with Chinese equity analysts making investments in China. Stop stating falsehoods.

      Report Post »  
    • getperks
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 4:03pm

      We barrowed money from them so now we turn a blind eye to human rights violations. Makes me sick and is no wonder the world THINKS we are hippocrites. We are better than this.

      Report Post » getperks  
    • oldoldtimer
      Posted on February 20, 2011 at 10:04pm

      Coming soon to a city near you.

      Report Post »  
    • SavingtheRepublic.com
      Posted on February 21, 2011 at 2:32am

      Ahhhh State Capitalism at its best! This is where ‘they’(dems/libs proggies) want to take us under this type of rule where if you speak out or are planning you get carted away in the middle of the night. Reminds of the ‘black bags’ in “V for Vendetta” where the detained individuals were taken away in vans with “For Your Protection” stamped on the back of it.

      How is it so many corporations do business with/in China when this goes on, or all the stories we see on working conditions? This is socialism/ communism at work that those protesting cuts etc in WI are embracing and want for all intents and purposes. What will it take for people to wake up and see this socialist/communist progressive utopian dream ends up in arrests, killings even mass murder?

      The article mentions that people were urged to shout “We want food, we want work, we want housing, we want fairness” an indications of their current state of living. This is something Beck discussed and said they are on the edge and will revolt b/c there are so many in desperation! This is why there are so many headlines today about the crackdown. The Chinese have to act quick to silence this or they too will have a revolution on their hands.

      If anything this is just more proof that what so many are pushing for in the US doesnt work.

      Report Post » SavingtheRepublic.com  
    • JoeyBagaDonuts
      Posted on February 21, 2011 at 1:02pm

      Let’s keep funding this Murderous Commie Regime by sending all our manufacturing over there.

      Slavery and Child Labor are illegal here in the US, but it’s okay to send all our jobs to a country where that activity is okay, as long as the right Commie official gets paid off.

      All the CEO’s and Politicians that made our enemy, Communist China the powerful nation it is today should be charged with treason.

      Report Post »  

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