'Blank Sheets Revolution': Xi relaxes some anti-covid measures but toughens crackdown

The Blank Sheets Revolution in China continues to struggle against censorship and repression by the country's authorities. And managing to slightly twist President Xi Jinping's arm with some changes to the strict anti-Covid measures. At the same time, the communist regime has toughened police action against demonstrators and tightened control over social networks to hinder mass demonstrations and, above all, their dissemination.

Following the weekend protests, some local governments began loosening restrictions, which has been interpreted as a sign that the Chinese authorities are beginning to release their grip. Especially because the zero covid policy is a personal decision of Xi, who has maintained it despite the economic, social and personal damage it has caused in the affected regions. Urumqi (Xinjiang), where the fire broke out and had been confined for more than 100 days, partially resumed public transportation on Monday. Delivery services followed suit one day later.

The end of zero covid?

A district in the economic center of Guangzhou, where a wave of covid infections occurred, announced that it would exempt the elderly, students and people who work from home from mass testing, unless they try to access public places. In addition, in Beijing, policy makers pledged not to close residential buildings for more than 24 hours. And the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu suspended construction of a huge facility intended to house more than 10,000 people, in a sign that centralized mass quarantine could be on its way out, according to The Washington Post.

During Monday the rallies continued, making it clear that the spirit of the revolution is still alive, although they were few in number. In some places barely dozens of demonstrators gathered, under a suffocating police supervision that this time did not let itself be surprised and crushed any attempt to create a presence reminiscent of the weekend's other marches and rallies. To begin with, hundreds of officers were pre-deployed at the protest sites, discouraging many people from approaching the area.

Bellicose attitude of the police

In addition, the police maintained a much more bellicose attitude than on Saturday and Sunday, proceeding to quickly arrest and intimidate citizens. Although there are no official figures, protesters reported 77 arrests during Monday night alone. According to The Washington Post, in Hangzhou, police cornered a bespectacled young man to snatch a bouquet of chrysanthemums, a symbol of mourning, from his hands. "Can't I take some flowers to West Lake?" he questioned the policemen, who tried to take the man away by force. However, under pressure from people in the area, they let him go.

White squares in the face of censorship

Chrysanthemums are not the only reference of the demonstrations. In fact, the symbol that has given its name to this revolution in China are the blank sheets of paper carried by the demonstrators and displayed before the forces of law and order. The Internet and social networks have also been filled with white squares. Supporters changed their profile pictures to white squares and post emojis of this sign (⬜) and images to try and avoid censors and show their solidarity with the protesters. They symbolize the words that citizens were unable to say in the face of censorship by an increasingly authoritarian regime. That would be the voice of silence, or as some analysts point out, a way of turning silence into a weapon of protest. On the other hand, as Jemimah Steinfeld, editor-in-chief of Index on Censorship, points out: "How can you punish someone who hasn't said anything?

Pornographic spam, a new form of censorship

However, the Chinese authorities are adept at online censorship and soon proceeded to ban suspicious accounts and posts to prevent protesters from being able to organize through the networks. A shadow army removed posts, videos and hashtags from major social networks. They also resorted to bots that filled the RRSS with pornographic spam to distract attention. Of course, the phrase "blank paper" was quickly banned, prompting supporters to sharpen their wits with profile pictures, emoticons and photos.

Moreover, the authorities announced that the new regulation that will come into force on December 15, 2022 will make the person who "likes" a publication just as guilty as the author. Pressure is also added on to the providers of these services for also being responsible for the content. Authors should also take care of the content of the comments to their original publication in order not to be accused.

The Hong Kong precedent

This is not the first time that Chinese censors have confronted the white squares. Following the enactment of the draconian National Security Law in 2020, which strictly prohibits slogans at protests, protesters in Hong Kong resorted to blank sheets of paper to symbolize their struggle.