Protesters who have gone missing as China tightens its grip
As China declares victory over the pandemic, the November protests that signaled the end of zero-Covid rules are beginning to fade from memory.
However, as the country progressed, many of those who participated in the protests went missing, taken by authorities in a quietly deepening crackdown on dissenters.
Thousands marched in the dark against restrictive Covid policies in the so-called White Paper protests, holding up blank white sheets. It was an unusual display of opposition to the ruling Chinese Communist Party and its leader, Xi Jinping.
At the time, police made few arrests. Now, months later, scores of those protesters are in police custody, according to Chinese activists, with one group estimating more than 100 arrests.
International human rights organizations and foreign universities have demanded their release. Activist groups have also published lists of the alleged detainees. This includes those who demonstrated in Beijing as well as Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Nanjing.
The Chinese government has not responded to inquiries about the detentions. However, the BBC was able to confirm the identities of 12 people arrested in Beijing through interviews with friends and lawyers.
Five of them have already been released on bail. Among those still in custody, four women - Cao Zhixin, Li Siqi, Li Yuanjing and Zhai Dengrui - have been formally arrested for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble". This is a notoriously vague charge with a maximum sentence of five years, and critics say it is frequently used to stifle dissent.
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