Activists have expressed concerns over the whereabouts of a woman who posted a video of herself splashing ink on a billboard image of president Xi Jinping in Shanghai on Wednesday morning.
She live-streamed the protest on the Twitter account @feefeefly, claiming in the video that she was suppressed by the central government’s “brain control.” She expressed opposition towards the Chinese president before splashing ink onto his photo in a “Chinese dream” advert near the HNA Building in Shanghai.
“I oppose Xi Jinping’s tyranny,” she proclaimed, adding that she requested that international organisations intervene and investigate the Communist Party’s suppression towards her.
Her Twitter account has since been deleted, but copies of the video and screenshots of her tweets are still circulating online. US-backed news outlet Radio Free Asia contacted her through Twitter, but she declined the interview request.
That afternoon, she posted photos of what appeared to be police officers seen through a door’s peephole.
“Right now there are a group of people wearing uniforms outside my door. I’ll go out after I change my clothes. I did not commit a crime. The people and groups that hurt me are the ones who are guilty,” she said.
According to her supporters, it was the last thing she posted. Her account is no longer available.
The photos were reposted by Hua Yong, a Beijing artist best known for documenting mass migrant evictions in the capital.
He expressed concern over her safety and asked those in Shanghai to try to find her: “Please everyone pay attention, don’t let her vanish without a trace – defend the constitution, freedom of speech is not a crime!“
Chinese activists and Twitter users responded to the development with a flurry of tweets expressing support and concern for her.
US-backed Voice of America was told by someone who picked up the phone at the Shanghai Security Bureau’s communications office that they did not have knowledge of the case. VOA was advised to send an interview request by fax. HKFP was unable to reach the bureau for comment.
