Chinese police struggle to keep lid on growing dissent

P“Even the flashing red and blue lights freak me out.”

Bo Jun*

ei* woke up with a jolt on Sunday morning. While he was asleep, hundreds of people had marched down Shanghai’s Wulumuqi street, chanting against lockdown and – even – Xi Jinping, the president. His phone was full of footage. Anxious not to miss his chance, the 28-year-old grabbed his camera and raced to the scene.

“I like freedom, democracy and surfing the internet,” he tells The Daily Telegraph. “But that is all against the law in China.”

When Pei arrived and started to take photographs, he was knocked to the ground by five police officers. “They said I wasn’t allowed to take pictures. They are so afraid that I will tell other people the truth,” he said, looking around for fear he will be seen talking to a journalist.

After several hours in a police station, he was offered a bowl of rice and vegetables. He asked for a little more rice. Instead, the officers tied his wrists and ankles to a chair. The marks are still visible days later. “A simple form of torture, really,” he said.

Dozens of protesters who were detained during the protests at the weekend have started to resurface. Police have not confirmed the number of arrests, but there were enough to require the use of several stations in the local area.

Most protesters shy away from talking to the media; for many, this was the first time they took part in any act of civil disobedience.

Bo Jun* tells his story via a complicated digital detour. Like most of those who were arrested, he was forced to hand over his phone at the police station. They checked if he posted videos of the protest online.

The officers also wanted to know his home and work address and took fingerprints, as well as pricking his finger for a drop of blood.

Bo Jun was locked in a small room with six other people. “We weren’t allowed to talk. We didn’t get any water, nothing to eat, and there wasn’t enough room to sleep,” he said.

After a day and a half, he was released. But the officers kept his phone – something that complicates life in China. Health codes, digital payments, chat apps; these are not accessible without a device and that, he feels, is the point the police wanted to make. They can exile you in your hometown. “I’m scared every day,” he said. “Even the flashing red and blue lights freak me out.”

Most protesters on Saturday were outraged by Covid restrictions. With promises of fewer and more targeted lockdowns, Beijing may get them back in line. But for a smaller group, there is a more profound dissatisfaction. They say Xi is unable to lead and the Communist Party is depriving them of their rights.

Police are trying to put the genie back in the bottle. Universities have sent students home early for the holidays. In Shanghai, there are rumours of a new city-wide lockdown.

The death of former president Jiang Zemin could be a catalyst for further protests. Yesterday there was a lively discussion in covert chat groups about how to use Jiang’s mourning to show dissent. But only the extremely brave – or the foolhardy – dare take to the streets now.

In central Shanghai, there is a police car with flashing lights stationed on every street corner. In the subway and on Wulumuqi street, phones are checked for illegal software.

Pei fears people will not speak out anymore. “If only 5 per cent of the population of Shanghai takes to the streets, the police will not have the capacity to stop us. But people are not united.” He doesn’t think a repeat of the weekend’s protests is likely.

Bo Jun agrees. “I think this will be over soon. People are slowly starting to understand what the problem is. But we may not be able to solve it.”

*All names have been changed