Hundreds of human rights protesters demonstrated outside the White House during President Donald Trump’s state dinner for Chinese dictator Xi Jinping, chanting slogans such as “Free Hong Kong” and “Freedom for political prisoners” loudly enough to be heard inside the building.
Protest organizers, including Tibetan and Uyghur activist groups, scheduled events across Washington to coincide with Xi’s arrival in the nation’s capital. Pro-Communist demonstrators turned up to physically clash with the human rights demonstrators at some events.
The crowd that gathered in Lafayette Park near the White House on Thursday evening, was loud enough to be heard from the dinner even over the music provided by the Marine Corps band.
“I hope Emperor Xi won’t remain in power. I hope he can give Chinese people real freedom – freedom of speech and religion,” one of the protesters told Firstpost.
In addition to the Tibetan and Uyghur groups, protesters from Hong Kong rallied against China’s authoritarian control of the once-vibrant island. The slogan of the 2019 pro-democracy uprising, “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” was raised on placards by the crowd. The Beijing-controlled Hong Kong government suppressed the uprising in 2020 by imposing a “national security law” that criminalized nearly all criticism of the Chinese Communist Party.
Other chants from the protesters included “Xi Jinping, You’re Not Welcome,” “Free Hong Kong,” “Keep Taiwan Free,” and “China Sponsors Genocide.”
The protesters expressed their opposition to Xi through more than just chants and placards. One group mixed in some vigorous aerobic exercise by slapping, punching, stomping, and clubbing a dummy of Xi with “FREE PUNCH” written on its shirt:
Some of the activists dressed in Winnie-the-Pooh costumes to mock Xi, who partially banned depictions of the fictional bear from China years ago after people noticed Xi and Pooh had similar builds. A Pooh head was hoisted above marchers on a pole as they demanded freedom for Tibet, Hong Kong, the Uyghurs, and imprisoned pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai:
China’s machinery of repression remains up and running. One of the activists, a Chinese citizen, said he was harassed by police after posting the “wrong thing” on social media platforms like WeChat.
“They will arrest you. You have no freedom,” he said of life in China for dissidents. He added that people who speak out on social media are told their spouses and children could be arrested as well.
(Credit to Matt Perdie of BREITBART NEWS for videos and interviews from the protest.)
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