Jump to content

2011 Chinese pro-democracy protests

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Jasmine Revolution in China)

2011 Chinese pro-democracy protests
Jasmine Revolution
Part of the Chinese democracy movement
and the impact of the Arab Spring
A large crowd of protesters, journalists, police and spectators gathered in front of a McDonald's restaurant in Wangfujing, Beijing.
Date20 February 2011 (2011-02-20) – 20 March 2011 (2011-03-20)
Location
China
Resulted inProtest failure
Parties
Number
Few hundreds[1]
Casualties
Injuries4 journalists
Arrested35 dissidents, ~25 journalists

The 2011 Chinese pro-democracy protests, also known as the Greater Chinese Democratic Jasmine Revolution,[2] refer to public assemblies in over a dozen cities in China starting on 20 February 2011, inspired by and named after the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia;[3][4] the actions that took place at protest sites, and the response by the Chinese government to the calls and action.[4][5]

Initially, organizers suggested shouting slogans on 20 February. The Chinese government blamed students in a pro-democracy club at the prestigious Chingmao Academy, including pro-democracy activist Yu-Feng Zhang, who is now in exile in Australia.[citation needed] After participants and journalists had been beaten and arrested, organizers urged a change to "strolling" on 27 February to minimize police reactions while sustaining the cycle of actions.[4] On this 2nd protest day, the number of protesters could not be determined. Protest and or official actions were noted in only two out of the thirteen suggested cities, and the difference between protesters and regular strollers became even less clear. Notwithstanding, police mounted a "huge"[6] security operation on both 20 and 27 February. Media sources reported that on 27 February, Stephen Engle of Bloomberg News and Damian Grammaticas of the BBC had been beaten by plainclothes security officers in Beijing.[6][7] Police arrested protesters. In Shanghai, protesters successfully prevented police from making an arrest and were able to air their slogans with foreign journalists.[8] Since late February, about 35 human rights activists and lawyers were arrested[4] and five people were charged with inciting subversion of state power.[5] The protest lasted 2 hours.[1]

Protest aims

[edit]

Initial call

[edit]

The anonymous call for a 'Jasmine revolution' in China's major cities was made online by "The Initiators and Organizers of the Chinese Jasmine Revolution".[9] The group, whose majority of members were based outside of China, made their calls on the Boxun blog, run by overseas dissidents, and then on Twitter.[2][10]

The initial call for protest began on 19 February 2011 when 12 to 13 cities were suggested.[11] The Boxun.com appeal called for protests to take place each weekend,[3] arguing that "sustained action will show the Chinese government that its people expect accountability and transparency that doesn't exist under the current one-party system."[4]

City Province Location[12]
Beijing McDonald's at Wangfujing
Changchun Jilin Culture Square, West Minzhu Street, front door of Corogo supermarket
Changsha Hunan Wuyi square, Xinda building front door
Chengdu Sichuan Tianfu square, beneath chairman Mao statue
Guangzhou Guangdong People's Park Starbucks
Hangzhou Zhejiang Wulin square, front door of Hangzhou department store
Harbin Heilongjiang Front door of Harbin cinema
Nanjing Jiangsu Drum tower square, Xiushui Street, department store front door
Shanghai People's square, front door of Peace Cinema
Shenyang Liaoning Nanjing-Bei (North Nanjing) Street, front door of KFC
Tianjin Beneath the Tianjin Drum Tower
Wuhan Hubei Liberation road, World trade Square, McDonald's front door
Xi'an Shaanxi Beida Street (北大街), front door of Carrefour

Protest strategy and tactics

[edit]
Rallying cry

We invite every participant to stroll, watch or even just pretend to pass by. As long as you are present, the authoritarian government will be shaking with fear.

Open letter 22 Feb. 2011[4]

The slogans of the protest were:[12]

  • 我们要食物、我们要工作、我们要住房 (We want food, we want jobs, we want housing)
  • 我们要公平、我们要正义 (We want equality, we want justice)
  • 启动政治改革、结束一党專政 or 停止一党專政 (Start political reform, end the one-party dictatorship or stop the one-party dictatorship)
  • 开放报禁、新闻自由 (Lift the restrictions of the press, press freedom)
  • 自由万岁、民主万岁 (Freedom for ten thousand years, democracy for ten thousand years)

On 2 March, organizers declared a three-stage strategy. The first stage would take "a few weeks, a couple of months, a year or even longer"; the second stage would include "holding a jasmine flower and [using] mobile phones or music players to play [the folk song] Such a Beautiful Jasmine". Organizers declared the third stage as "when the street-walking revolution is irreversible"; it would involve people criticizing the government openly and without fear.[8]

The media reported a vindication by protest organizers on 2 March saying, "Now China's government clearly shows its horror and fear of the people, as if facing a deadly enemy. A modest amount of people, just by walking, have demonstrated the people's power, and the government's response has revealed its weaknesses to the world."[8][13] For 6 March, protesters were urged to "either gather near fast-food restaurants, take a stroll, or eat at the restaurants, ... [and order] set meal No3 at the McDonald's and the KFC".[14]

February 2011

[edit]

20 February

[edit]

The Associated Press reported that only "a handful of people" were known to have been actively involved in organizing the staging rallies in 13 cities.[4] The Globe and Mail reported that the 20 February appeal was answered by 200 people at the Beijing rendezvous. There was a similar protest in Shanghai with about 100 participants.[15] One demonstrator condemned the government as "a tyranny that suppresses the citizens."[16]

The United States Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, Jr., was seen at the protest rendezvous point. Huntsman exchanged a few words with people in Chinese and then his entourage departed the site immediately. Huntsman had previously stood outside a court in Beijing to protest the conviction of an American sentenced on espionage charges, as well as posting a message on Weibo about Internet freedom.[17] US Embassy spokesman Richard Buangan said that Huntsman happened to be passing by a nearby McDonalds and were unaware of the protest.[17] [18][19][20] He later condemned the Chinese government for its crackdown on the protests.[21]

Crowd in front of a McDonald's in Wangfujing on 20 February 2011

27 February

[edit]

After the police responded to the protests on 20 February, the organizers urged the participants not to shout slogans anymore, but simply to stroll silently at the respective protest sites. The call to use "strolling" tactics for the 27 February gatherings was made on the Boxun.com website on 22 February.[4] Prior to the planned 27 February gathering in front of a McDonald's restaurant in Beijing, authorities installed metal corrugated fencing outside the restaurant and outside the home of Nobel laureate and dissident Liu Xiaobo.[5] Hundreds of uniformed and plainclothed security staff and volunteers wearing red armbands were pre-emptively stationed at Wangfujing. Their presence disrupted normal shopping and attracted onlookers.[6] Police began to clear the rendezvous area half an hour after the designated assembly time.[22]

On 27 February, activists in 2 cities – Beijing and Shanghai – out of the 23 originally suggested responded. Seven people were reportedly arrested in Shanghai and police kept reporters, participants, and strollers moving. Since the organizers proposed for protesters to just walk by silently to protest, it was impossible to tell who was protesting and who was just regular strollers on the streets.[23] The Wall Street Journal stated, "while several Chinese people were seen having altercations with the police, there were no signs of actual protests."[6][24]

Beijing

[edit]

Several foreign journalists were physically beaten by the police, with many others physically pushed by the police, their cameras confiscated and footage deleted.[25] The Wall Street Journal gave an eyewitness account of an incident in Beijing in which Bloomberg reporter Stephen Engle was "grabbed by several security officers, pushed to the ground, dragged along by his leg, punched in the head and beaten with a broom handle by a man dressed as street sweeper."[6] The Foreign Correspondents' Club of China denounced the attack on Engle, and called for journalists' physical safety to be guaranteed by the authorities.[6]

BBC reporter Damian Grammaticas accused state security of roughing up his crew. He said that they tried to grab equipment from the cameraman and took him 50 yards away into a police van. Grammaticas alleged the police officers then set on him, pulled him by the hair, and generally treated him roughly. He also alleged that the police officers then threw the crew into a van and threatened them during their transport to a government office.[7]

CNN reporter Eunice Yoon reported that a policeman in Wangfujing knocked a camera out of her colleague Jo Ling Kent's hand and six police officers physically forced them into a bank, where they were detained for half an hour.[25] Yoon remarked after the incident that "there had been no protests for us to cover", and that the incident "show[ed] how incredibly terrified and paranoid the Chinese authorities are".[26] CBS News producer Connie Young was also forcefully carried off by plainclothes police officers and detained after she filmed VOA bureau chief, Stephanie Ho, being wrestled to the ground by plainclothes police officers. Ho was filming when she was quickly attacked and detained by uniformed and plainclothes police officers.

ATV journalists and a TVB cameraman were also reportedly briefly detained. ATV News reported that their footage at the rally site was deleted by officers.[27] Chinese security forces also visited a few Western journalists in their apartments with nighttime visits asking to behave "cooperatively." Otherwise, they warned, the authorities would refuse to extend their work permits at the end of the year.[28]

Shanghai

[edit]

In Shanghai on 27 February, protestors prevented police from arresting an elderly man, when they "reacted instantly and angrily, emitting a guttural roar and surging forward almost as one", according to the South China Morning Post. Protestors included elderly people and youths documenting the protest with cameras and phones. Some of the core participants appeared to be "deliberately obstructing police efforts to keep the crowd flowing". Other protestors spoke to foreign journalists and joked to each other about police difficulties in stopping "demonstrations that were not actually happening".[8]

Hong Kong

[edit]

27 people participated in a "Jasmine Revolution" demonstration in Hong Kong on 27 February, including activists from the Young Civics, they held placards that read "Long live people's power, long live democracy." 40 more participated in another protest outside the offices of the Central Government Liaison Office in Sheung Wan, for the second time in a week. Participants included Legco member Leung Kwok Hung aka Long Hair and activists from the League of Social Democrats.[29]

March 2011

[edit]

6 March

[edit]

Beijing was under tight security due to a session of the National People's Congress, and some 180,000 police and 560,000 security volunteers were already on patrol.[30] There was a heavy police presence on Sunday in parts of Beijing, Shanghai,[31][32][33] Guangzhou and Shenzhen to which protests had been called.[34] In Beijing, journalists saw no obvious sign of protesters.[31] Large contingents of plainclothed security personnel were reported in and around Wangfujing, Xidan and Zhongguancun.[34] In Shanghai, most news outlets reported an absence of obvious protestors.[31][32][33] However, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) reported around a hundred protestors[35] "surrounded by hundreds of uniformed and plainclothes police."[36]

There were yet more reports of foreign journalists being detained in Shanghai,[34][37] leading to sharp objections from the Foreign Ministries of Germany[35] and Australia.[38]

Members of the League of Social Democrats tried to place a branch of jasmine in front of the Central Government Offices in Hong Kong.[39]

13 March

[edit]

According to Deutsche Presse-Agentur, there were several hundred police in the Wangfujing and Xidan districts in Beijing, including uniformed police with dogs, paramilitary police, plainclothes police, special forces units and security guards.[40] More than 40 police were present at the Peace Cinema in Shanghai.[40] According to Agence France-Presse, "there was no massive police presence [at Wangfujing] as seen on previous Sundays."[30]

20 March

[edit]

In Beijing, hundreds of police were present at some of the eight proposed "strolling" protest locations in commercial areas and some police cars were present at entries to some of the 20 university sites proposed for protests.[41]

Government reaction

[edit]

Arrests

[edit]
Blogger Ran Yunfei charged with inciting subversion of state power

About 35 leading Chinese activists have been arrested or detained by authorities[30] including a leading Sichuan human rights activist Chen Wei,[5] Tiananmen Square protest student leader, Ding Mao,[5] well-known blogger Ran Yunfei, and Teng Biao of Open Constitutional Initiative.[4][42][43] Chengdu-based activist and legal advisor Li Shuangde, who was sentenced to four months in prison in on charges of credit card fraud, is considered the first to have been sentenced on "jasmine" related charges.[44][45] Since the 19 February protest announcement, more than a hundred people have been summoned or questioned by police,[46] and up to 200 people are subject to reinforced supervision or house arrest.[47]

The highest-profile arrest is Ai Weiwei, who was taken into police custody on 3 April in Beijing.[48] Amid Boxun's online campaign, Ai had posted on his Twitter account on 24 February: "I didn't care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared by jasmine sent out information about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!"[49][50] Ai's studio was raided by police, who took away computer equipment; a number of his entourage were also arrested by police.[51] Analysts and other activists said Ai had been widely thought to be untouchable, but Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch suggested that his arrest, calculated to send the message that no-one would be immune, must have had the approval of someone in the top leadership.[52] The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 7 April that Ai was under investigation for 'economic crimes'.[53]

Censorship

[edit]

China Mobile and China Unicom blocked the word "jasmine".[54][better source needed] Searches for "jasmine" were also blocked[55] on China's largest microblog, Sina Weibo, and status updates with the word on Chinese social networking site Renren were met with an error message and a warning to refrain from postings with "political, sensitive ... or other inappropriate content."[56]

Since the word "Jasmine" was forbidden in the Chinese blogosphere, millions of netizens used the term "two conferences" instead, a widely used expression in the official news originally pointing to the two conferences "Fourth Session of the Eleventh National People's Congress" and "Fourth Session of the Eleventh CPPCC" happening in March in Beijing.[57]

On 25 February, several foreign journalists were contacted by police and told that they could not conduct interviews without applying for permission.[5] Regulations issued by the Chinese government forbid entry by foreign reporters into the Wangfujing shopping district in Beijing or the People's Park in central Shanghai without a special permit. Enforcement of the new rules on Sunday 28 February resulted in beating of one camera operator and detention of several reporters for several hours before their release and confiscation of their materials.[58][59]

Following calls for a "Jasmine Revolution" on Twitter, Chinese users of Twitter began to notice a number of new accounts, sometimes using the names or images of Chinese democracy activists. Tweets by the new accounts took a hostile position to calls for demonstrations.[60]

In late March, Google stated that intermittent problems with Gmail in the PRC constitute "a government blockage carefully designed to look like the problem is with Gmail". PC Mag attributed the blockage to the calls for a "Jasmine Revolution" in the PRC.[61]

Other security measures

[edit]

More than 20 Chinese cities stepped up security measures, with armed forces ordered to stand by in case of emergency.[62] CPC General Secretary and President Hu Jintao delivered a speech in the Central Party School on 19 February instructing senior management to better manage social problems and internet incitement.[56][63]

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei said that there were tight controls on university students to prevent students from participating in protests. He alleged that teachers had received "a certain note ordering them to do their duty, otherwise they will be in trouble, or their school will be in trouble."[64]

Jasmine flower ban

[edit]

On 10 May 2011, The New York Times reported that Beijing police had banned the sale of jasmine flowers at various flower markets, causing wholesale prices to collapse. Some vendors stated that Beijing police wanted written assurances that no jasmine flowers would be sold in their stalls. The Guangxi Jasmine Development and Investment Company, organizers of the China International Jasmine Cultural Festival, said that officials canceled the 2011 summer festival.[65]

Reactions

[edit]

Domestic

[edit]

High-level Chinese government official Zhao Qizheng said on 23 February that the probability of China having a "Jasmine Revolution" is "preposterous and unrealistic".[66]

Premier Wen Jiabao participated in a web chat on 27 February that France 24 described as an "apparent bid to defuse" the call for weekly gatherings.[22] In the webchat, he promised to deal with inflation, corruption, lack of housing, property speculation.[22][46] The Financial Times (FT) claimed that the web chat was "announced abruptly late on [26 February] and appeared to be timed to coincide with the planned protests."[67] It added that with the web chat, "state media blanketed the nation over the internet, television and radio on Sunday morning with two hours of remarks by Wen Jiabao".[67] China News said that the webchat had been planned in advance; similar webchats had taken place on 20 June 2008 and 27 February 2010.[68]

"Political reform offers a guarantee for economic reform. Without political reform, economic reform cannot succeed, and the achievements we have made may be lost," he said yesterday. "It is only with reform that the party and the country will enjoy continuous vigour and vitality."[69]

Wen Jiabao at NCPCC on 14 March 2011

Wu Bangguo's five "No's"

[edit]

Addressing the meeting of the National People's Congress, its chairman Wu Bangguo dismissed any notion of political reform, saying that Western-style democracy would have dire consequences and that any loosening of the Party's hold on power could undermine stability and risk domestic strife, and he also advocated the five "no's" – no multi-party election; no diversified guiding principles, no separation of powers, no federal system, and no privatization.[70][71]

Wu, who belongs to the conservative faction of the leadership, said: "We have made a solemn declaration that we will not employ a system of multiple parties holding office in rotation; diversify our guiding thought; separate executive, legislative and judicial powers; use a bicameral or federal system; or carry out privatisation." Analysts said the warnings were aimed at consolidating the party's power, in reaction to calls for liberal democracy in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya.[70] On the other hand, the more liberal Wen Jiabao said that economic and political reform, safeguarding social equity and justice were major factors behind China's success. He also rejected comparisons with Egypt and Tunisia, and reiterated his support for greater democracy and public supervision, saying economic development alone could not solve the problems of the mainland's development.

International

[edit]

Time suggested that though there are many similarities between the complaints voiced by the people in Arab Spring and those voiced by the Chinese people, the state's tighter grip on the country's media, Internet and other communication forums pose difficulties for anyone trying to organize mass demonstrations.[72]

The Wall Street Journal said that the online protest appeal could cause concern among Chinese Communist Party leaders, as other uprisings against authoritarian governments elsewhere could impact China.[73]

CNN journalist Eunice Yoon and her news crew headed out to Wangfujing to cover the "response to anonymous calls on the Internet to stage protests and begin a Tunisia-style "Jasmine Revolution" in China",[26] was physically handled by police in Beijing on 27 February at arrival near the protest site. She wrote: "What makes China's treatment of the international press so bewildering is that there had been no protests for us to cover here..... My own experience and those of my colleagues show how incredibly terrified and paranoid the Chinese authorities are of any anti-government movement forming in China."[25]

Following the arrests of approximately 15 foreign journalists on 6 March, The Australian described the attempts at organizing a "Jasmine Revolution" in China as "the biggest showdown between Chinese authorities and foreign media in more than two decades."[38]

The Atlantic reported that Hillary Clinton thinks the Chinese government is "scared" of the Arab rising. "They're worried, and they are trying to stop history, which is a fool's errand. They cannot do it. But they're going to hold it off as long as possible."[74]

Taiwan protests

[edit]

On 24 February, whilst visiting Kaohsiung to discuss economic ties between the People's Republic of China and Taiwan (ROC), Chen Yunlin, Chairman of mainland China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits,[75] was mobbed by about 200 protesters at Kaohsiung Harbor. Some protesters threw chrysanthemum flowers at him (as Jasmine flowers were not in season), while others tried to deliver plastic jasmine flowers and juice to him.[75][76] Earlier, at Kaohsiung Station, Chen had already encountered two groups of demonstrators, one supporting Taiwanese independence and another Chinese unification. Police claimed that the groups both numbered about 50 people.[75] About 300 Falun Gong followers also staged a protest.[75] On 8 March, the Democratic Progressive Party released a strongly worded statement condemning the use of force against participants of the "Jasmine Revolution" in China. The statement urged the government to incorporate values of democracy and human rights into agreements with Beijing when promoting cross-strait ties to encourage "China's democratic transformation."[77]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "'Jasmine Revolution' fails to launch". 23 February 2011. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b Ramzy, Austin (21 February 2011). "China Cracks Down After 'Jasmine Revolution' Protest Call". Time. Archived from the original on 23 February 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  3. ^ a b Hille, Kathrin (23 February 2011). "'Jasmine revolutionaries' call for weekly China protests". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Organizers urge sustained street protests in China". Mercury News. Associated Press. 23 February 2011. Archived from the original on 15 August 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Pierson, David (26 February 2011). "Online call for protests in China prompts crackdown". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Page, Jeremy; James T. Areddy (27 February 2011). "China Takes Heavy Hand to Light Protests". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  7. ^ a b Grammaticas, Damian (28 February 2011). "Calls for protests in China met with brutality". BBC. Archived from the original on 28 February 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d Clem, Will (3 March 2011). "The flowering of an unconventional revolution". South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  9. ^ "AP Exclusive". San Diego Union Tribune. 6 April 2011. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  10. ^ AFP via Google. "China web users call for 'Jasmine Revolution'." China web users call for 'Jasmine Revolution'. Retrieved on 21 February 2011.
  11. ^ Dw-world.de. "Dw-world.de Archived 21 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine." 网传"茉莉花革命",中国当局全线戒备 . Retrieved on 21 February 2011.
  12. ^ a b "網民發動中國茉莉花革命解放軍嚴陣以待". Apple Daily. Hong Kong. February 2011. Archived from the original on 23 February 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  13. ^ Ford, Peter (3 Mar 2011) "Report on China's 'Jasmine Revolution'? Not if you want your visa.", The Christian Science Monitor, Yahoo! News
  14. ^ Jiangtao, Shi (1 March 2011). "Fresh call goes out for Beijing 'jasmine' rallies". South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 6 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  15. ^ Canada. "China halts online call for a 'jasmine revolution'". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  16. ^ ""The Chinese authorities have cracked down on a small pro-democracy rally apparently modeled on the protests sweeping the Arab world", ITN News London 20 February 2011". Archived from the original on 24 February 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  17. ^ a b "Chinese Activists Continue Calls for Protests". NYT. 25 February 2011. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  18. ^ "BBC 中文网 – 两岸三地 – 洪博培在茉莉花示威地点属巧合". BBC News. 23 February 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  19. ^ Lizza, Ryan (7 January 2009). "The Huntsman Walk". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 28 February 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  20. ^ Burr, Thomas (24 February 2011). "Huntsman at China rally – by accident". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  21. ^ "Departing U.S. Envoy Criticizes China on Human Rights". NYT. 6 April 2011.
  22. ^ a b c "China's Wen addresses concerns amid protest call". France 24. 27 February 2011. Archived from the original on 27 February 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  23. ^ "China protest call smothered in police blanket". Reuters. 9 February 2009. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  24. ^ "Chinese police detain German journalists covering protests". Deutsche Welle. 24 February 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  25. ^ a b c Yoon, Eunice (28 February 2011). "Getting harassed by the Chinese police". CNN. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  26. ^ a b Eunice Yoon (9 March 2011). "Getting harassed by the Chinese police – Business 360 – CNN.com Blogs". CNN. Archived from the original on 14 April 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  27. ^ "Novel ploys keep 'Jasmine' protesters at bay". The Standard. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  28. ^ Wagner, Wieland (18 March 2011). "An Unwelcome Scent of Jasmine – Chinese Leadership Fears Its Own People". Der Spiegel International. Hamburg. Archived from the original on 8 April 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  29. ^ "Jasmine Revolution 'sluggish' in Hong Kong". CNN. 28 February 2011. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  30. ^ a b c "China arrests more activists for urging protests". Emirates24. Agence France-Presse. 13 March 2011. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  31. ^ a b c Blanchard, Ben (6 March 2011). "Beijing says jasmine protest calls doomed to fail". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  32. ^ a b Jaime FlorCruz (7 March 2011). "Chinese official: Protests will 'never happen' in Beijing". CNN. Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  33. ^ a b France, Agence (6 March 2011). "Chinese state media slams calls for protests – Latest news around the world and developments close to home – MSN Malaysia News". MSN. Retrieved 15 March 2011.[permanent dead link]
  34. ^ a b c Staff Reporters (7 March 2011). "Police out in force again to stop 'jasmine' rallies flowering", South China Morning Post
  35. ^ a b dpa/bk (6 March 2011). "Stern journalist detained in China". The Local Germany's news in English. Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  36. ^ "Scores gather for Shanghai 'stroll'; Beijing quiet". 6 March 2011. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  37. ^ "China detains 15 more foreign journalists". The Times of India. India. 6 March 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  38. ^ a b Sainsbury, Michael (7 March 2011). "Australian government condemns violent crackdown on media". The Australian. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  39. ^ "More than 1,000 march to protest Hong Kong's rich-poor divide". Monsters and Critics/DPA. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  40. ^ a b "China keeps heavy security on fourth "Jasmine" day". Monsters and Critics. DPA. 13 March 2011. Archived from the original on 25 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  41. ^ "Beijing screens more "jasmine" sites but no sign of protest". Monsters and Critics. Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 21 March 2011. Archived from the original on 21 March 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  42. ^ "Chinese police snuff out planned 'Jasmine Revolution'". News.asiaone.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  43. ^ Bbc.co.uk. "bbc.co.uk Archived 29 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine." 逾百中国维权人士被捕失踪. Retrieved on 21 February 2011.
  44. ^ John Kennedy," China: First 'Jasmine' Sentence Handed Down Archived 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine," Global Voices Online, 1 June 2011
  45. ^ Human Rights in China, "Sichuan Barefoot Lawyer Speaks Out against Trumped-up Charge Archived 17 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine," 22 July 2011
  46. ^ a b Branigan, Tania (27 February 2011). "China's jasmine revolution: police but no protesters line streets of Beijing". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 28 February 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  47. ^ "China warns not to interfere with detention of Ai Weiwei". Tagesschau. 7 April 2011. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  48. ^ Jaffe, Greg (3 April 2011). "Chinese artist Ai Weiwei arrested in ongoing government crackdown". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  49. ^ Richburg, Keith B. (3 April 2011). "Chinese artist Ai Weiwei arrested in latest government crackdown" Archived 24 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine, The Washington Post
  50. ^ Weiwei, Ai [@aiww] (24 February 2011). "本来不关心茉莉花的,可是害怕茉莉花的人,频频送来许多茉莉如何有害的信息,让我意识到了茉莉花是他们的最怕,好一朵茉莉花。" [I didn't care about jasmine at first, but people who are afraid of jasmine frequently sent a lot of information about how harmful jasmine is, which made me realize that jasmine is what they fear most, what a jasmine.] (Tweet) (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023 – via Twitter.
  51. ^ Branigan, Tania; Watts, Jonathan (3 April 2011). "Ai Weiwei detained by Chinese police". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  52. ^ Clem, Will & Choi Chi-yuk (6 April 2011). "Beijing's silence an ominous signal", South China Morning Post
  53. ^ "Chinese artist Ai Weiwei held for 'economic crimes'". BBC. 7 April 2011. Archived from the original on 18 September 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  54. ^ WL Central (19 February 2011). "2011-02-19 China calls for a Jasmine Revolution: Summary: It didn't work. #CNJasmine2011 #cn220 #OpChina". Wikileaks. Archived from the original on 27 February 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  55. ^ "China Blocks Microblogs for 'Jasmine Revolution'". PC World. 20 February 2011. Archived from the original on 23 February 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  56. ^ a b "China stamps out attempt at Mideast-style protests". Yahoo! News. Associated Press. 21 February 2011. Archived from the original on 20 February 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  57. ^ "The 'Jasmine Revolution'". Blogotariat. 10 April 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.[permanent dead link]
  58. ^ Andrew Jacobs (1 March 2011). "Chinese Move to Stop Reporting on Protests". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  59. ^ Ananth Krishnan (1 March 2011). "Chinese government places media restrictions after protest threat". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  60. ^ "Remarkable Quotes from the Fifty Cent Party: Anti-Jasmine Revolution Tweets". China Digital Times. 28 February 2011. Archived from the original on 1 March 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  61. ^ Albanesius, Chloe (21 March 2011). "China Blocks Gmail to Stop Protests". PC Magazine. Archived from the original on 14 January 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  62. ^ "Hundreds join 'Jasmine Revolution'". South China Morning Post. 21 February 2011. Archived from the original on 27 February 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  63. ^ "China Blocks Microblogs for 'Jasmine Revolution; China tries to stamp out 'Jasmine Revolution'". Allvoices.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  64. ^ Foster, Peter (7 March 2011). "Ai Wei Wei: 'growing force behind Jasmine Revolution very strong'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  65. ^ Jacobs, Andrew; Jonathan Ansfield (10 May 2011). "Catching Scent of Revolution, China Moves to Snip Jasmine". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  66. ^ Buckley, Chris (23 February 2011). "Chinese official dismisses "Jasmine" protest calls". Reuters. Archived from the original on 4 March 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  67. ^ a b Hille, Kathrin; Waldmeir, Patti. "China muffles calls for democracy protests". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  68. ^ 总理约会网友渐成惯例 网络问政蔚成中国政坛风景 (in Chinese). China News. 26 February 2011. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  69. ^ Shi Jiangtao (15 Mar 2011). "Political reform is needed, Wen insists", South China Morning Post
  70. ^ a b Shi Jiangtao (11 Mar 2011). "Beijing slams door on political reform", South China Morning Post
  71. ^ Ching Cheong (16 April 2011) "China Prepares for 'War Without Gun Smoke'" Archived 25 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine, The Jakarta Globe|Straits Times Indonesia
  72. ^ ANITA CHANG (20 February 2011). "China Suppresses 'Jasmine Revolution'". Time. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 24 February 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  73. ^ Page, Jeremy (28 February 2011). "Call for Protests Unnerves Beijing". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  74. ^ Goldberg, Jeffrey (10 May 2011). Hillary Clinton: Chinese System Is Doomed, Leaders on a 'Fool's Errand' Archived 26 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine, The Atlantic
  75. ^ a b c d "Taiwan protesters throw flowers at China envoy". Sinodaily.com. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  76. ^ "Protesters throw flowers at Chen Yunlin". Taipei Times. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 28 February 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  77. ^ Vincent Y. Chao (10 Mar 2011). "DPP condemns China's crackdown on protesters" Archived 10 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Page 3, Taipei Times
[edit]

Video coverage

[edit]