Activists have posted images of ink splashed across pictures of Chinese president Xi Jinping after a woman who pulled a similar stunt in Shanghai disappeared from Twitter soon afterwards.
A Twitter user by the handle @feefeefly shared a livestream of herself splashing ink a Xi billboard and declaring that she opposed his “tyranny” last Wednesday. That afternoon, she posted photos of what appeared to be police officers outside her door before her account was deleted, sparking fears that she had been detained.
Twitter users identified her as Dong Yaoqiong, believed to be from Zhuzhou, Hunan.
Some on Twitter then called for people to hold copycat protests to support her – with a few even deeming it an “ink-splashing movement.”
“Use action to support Dong Yaoqiong, splash ink on Xi Jinping!” one user wrote.
A photo of ink splashed across an entrance of the Beijing High People’s Court was also circulated on Twitter, though HKFP was unable to verify it.
今天，北京高院。泼墨开始流行了。 pic.twitter.com/uaU7t7U18G
— 刘虎 (@liuhu2017) July 6, 2018
US-backed Radio Free Asia reported that a Guangdong citizen named Wang Wenbin was arrested last Friday, seemingly under suspicion of throwing mud at a Xi Jinping billboard. A photo of a detention notice for “picking quarrels and provoking troubles” was uploaded on Twitter, but does not give other details. The charge is often used against dissenter.
A friend of Wang’s verified that he was under criminal detention to RFA. The unnamed friend said: “You can see from Wang Wenbin’s case that China does not even have basic freedom of speech. China seems to have gone back to the cultural revolution – mythologising the individual, the cult of personality is definitely a regression.”
“I’m sure many others will follow her in doing these kinds of ink-splashing acts, and even create a big movement,” he added.
HKFP was unable to reach Wang’s family for comment through a number posted by Twitter users.
Meanwhile, others posted photos of similar protests. Activist Zhu Wanli posted a photo of two activists defacing Xi’s portrait in front of China’s Consulate General in Auckland on Friday.
Another posted a video on Wednesday of a man confronting a group of protesters in New York. Their sign read: “New York Chinese in support of ink splashing girl Dong Yaoqiong.”
RFA also reported on a group of activists who held a protest with spray paint in front of the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco.
US-based political cartoonist Wang Liming – better known as Rebel Pepper – posted photos that he said were sent to him by online contacts.
One showed ink dripping down a propaganda billboard advertising socialist values in Guangdong, another showing a defaced Xi Jinping poster, and two other photos where the protester used a white liquid.
某網友轉發一張潑墨運動的照片給我，廣東順德某地，墨汁潑污社會主義價值觀的宣傳看板👍 pic.twitter.com/CtQSb0Vc0g
— 变态辣椒RebelPepper (@remonwangxt) July 6, 2018
又一位網友私信給我，他勇敢地在街頭向習近平潑墨👍👍👍 pic.twitter.com/OzN77fynJh
— 变态辣椒RebelPepper (@remonwangxt) July 7, 2018
有勇敢的網友私信提供向習近平的兩張畫像潑污的照片，很棒，不過這次是白色渾濁液體。。。習包子受到了雙倍的羞辱😹 pic.twitter.com/v5SRznVDyI
— 变态辣椒RebelPepper (@remonwangxt) July 10, 2018
Li drew a cartoon of Xi’s portrait grimacing as people throw various objects at it for US-backed Radio Free Asia. He posted the cartoon on Twitter, saying: “‘ink-splashing girl’ said the CPC was controlling her brain, but I don’t think she is under brain control, she’s probably just thinking too much. But over one billion people aren’t even aware, actually you have been under the CPC’s ‘brain control’ for several decades.”
