China Detains Activists After Online Call For Protests

[interestrateripoff]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/20/chinese-officials-detain-activists-protests

Chinese security officials have questioned or detained scores of activists and warned others against staging protests after an online call was made for demonstrations in 13 cities, campaigners said.

The message – posted on an overseas website on Saturday – was titled "The jasmine revolution in China".

The swift crackdown underlined the anxiety of authorities in the wake of the Egypt uprising and protests across the Middle East.

It came as the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, urged top officials to "improve social management capabilities", sustain order and handle online information better "to guide public opinion".

The Xinhua state news agency said the meeting in Beijing was to help leaders to understand "new changes and characteristics in the domestic and international situations".

Despite a huge police presence at the proposed demonstration locations, there were signs that at least a handful of people in Beijing and Shanghai had hoped to protest.

It is not clear who posted the call for demonstrations on the Boxun website, and the message may well have come from abroad. Many mainland activists appeared to have been unaware of it until police contacted them.

The message posted said: "You and I are Chinese people who will still have a dream for the future ... we must act responsibly for the future of our descendants."

China to be the next political hotspot with the proles revolting?

Interesting see wave of political revolt happening, the world hasn't seen so many political protests since the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.

[Mikhail Liebenstein]

http://www.guardian....ivists-protests

China to be the next political hotspot with the proles revolting?

Interesting see wave of political revolt happening, the world hasn't seen so many political protests since the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.

Almost certainly. China has such high levels of repression, it will have to explode at some point soon. If they call out the tanks whether western countries slap an embargo on Chinese goods?

Edited February 20, 2011 by Mikhail Liebenstein

[gasket37]

If they call out the tanks whether western countries slap an embargo on Chinese goods?

fat chance

westerners need their shiny electronic gizmos and cheap tat else life is not worth living, godammit

also, wither the CPI (China Prices Index) if such an event would occur?

can't have any pressure on inflation can we, not as the BoE are doing such a good job