CAMBRIDGE:In the largest demonstrations against the Beijing government in decades, hundreds of people gathered Tuesday at Harvard University and near Chinese consulates in New York and Chicago to support protesters who have called for the country's leader to step down amid severe anti-virus restrictions.
A total of fifty protesters, the majority of whom were elite Ivy League students, chanted slogans in both Chinese and English, including "We are not slaves, we are citizens!"Elections, not dictatorships, are what we want!and the line "Step down, Xi Jinping," which refers to the president of China.
Not because of Covid-19, many people who had gathered at the statue of John Harvard, the university's founder, wore masks because they were afraid their families back home would be hurt if they were recognized by Chinese authorities.
Family members could confront provocation or even lose an employment, said Wayne, a Harvard graduate understudy from China taking part in the show who didn't need his complete name utilized out of worry for family members at home.
Around 400 people gathered in front of the consulate in New York with banners that read "Free China" and "Citizen Dignity Freedom."
Around 200 protesters gathered in front of the Chinese consulate in Chicago.Several chanted:Food is what we want, not PCR tests!and "We want votes, not a dictator!"
Chinese protesters have used flowers, candles, signs, masks, and blank sheets of paper to cover their faces as a sign of defiance against government censorship.
A 21-year-old man in a hazmat suit, referring to the suits worn by those who conduct mandatory Covid-19 tests in China, stated, "I came because I want to do everything I can to help my people."
Because her parents are members of the Chinese Communist Party and she is concerned that if she is identified, they could be arrested, she requested that she only be identified as a performance artist.
She stated that if they knew she was protesting, "they would be very worried."
At least eight mainland cities and Hong Kong have seen demonstrations as a result of the restrictive "zero-Covid" strategy implemented by Chinese authorities.They have been described as the most widespread protests since the 1989 pro-democracy movement led by students in Tiananmen Square.
Students at some Chinese universities have been sent home, and on Tuesday, police spread out in Beijing and Shanghai to stop more protests.Unknown numbers of people were held by security forces, and they increased their surveillance.
On Monday, there was also a protest at Columbia University, and in the coming days, there will be demonstrations in support of the Chinese people at other US universities.
The Harvard protesters also laid flowers at the base of the statue, a well-known spot in Harvard Yard that is frequently visited by tourists, to remember the ten people who died last week in a fire in northwestern China. Some people blamed the strict controls on viruses for the deaths.
Unmasked, former Harvard student Brabeeba Wang played his violin to accompany the singing. He is currently pursuing a neuroscience degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology nearby.
Wang, who is originally from Taiwan, stated, "It's great to see people fight for their freedom and fight for their freedom of speech."
He referred to the Chinese protesters as "courageous" for challenging the government.