China protest: Mystery Beijing demonstrator sparks online hunt and tributes

A uncommon and melodramatic protestation successful Beijing that criticised President Xi Jinping has sparked an online hunt for the enigma protester's identity, arsenic good arsenic heartfelt tributes.

The protester had mounted Sitong span successful the Haidian territory of Beijing, and draped 2 ample banners calling for an extremity to China's harsh zero-Covid argumentation and the overthrow of Mr Xi.

While authorities media person remained silent, photos and videos of Thursday's lawsuit person circulated wide online, prompting a swift crackdown by censors connected societal media platforms and the WeChat app utilized by astir Chinese.

Thursday's protestation took spot connected the eve of a historical Communist Party congress, wherever Mr Xi is owed to beryllium handed a 3rd word arsenic enactment chief, cementing his clasp connected power.

The idiosyncratic besides acceptable what appeared to beryllium car tyres connected fire, and could beryllium heard chanting slogans into a loudhailer.

Reports accidental 1 idiosyncratic has been arrested successful transportation to the protest. Pictures of the incidental showed constabulary officers surrounding the person, who wore a yellowish hard chapeau and orangish clothing.

The BBC has asked section constabulary for comment.

Many person praised the lone protester's actions, calling them a "hero" and referring to them arsenic the "new Tank Man" - a notation to the chartless Chinese antheral who stood successful beforehand of tanks during the 1989 Tiananmen protests.

Online sleuths person attempted to way the idiosyncratic down, focusing connected a Chinese researcher and physicist hailing from a colony successful the bluish state of Heilongjiang. A BBC cheque with colony officials confirmed that a antheral with that sanction utilized to unrecorded there.

He had posted what appeared to beryllium a manifesto connected fashionable probe tract ResearchGate. This was aboriginal taken down, though others person since uploaded copies of it.

In the 23-page document, helium called for a onslaught and acts of civilian disobedience - specified arsenic smashing Covid investigating stations - connected Sunday. This was to halt "the dictator Xi Jinping from illegally continuing successful office, truthful that China tin embark connected the roadworthy to ideology and freedom".

Some Chinese person congregated connected the man's 2 Twitter accounts, posting what they claimed were his pictures and penning hundreds of grateful messages.

"You're a leader and you person my respect," wrote 1 person, portion different said: "Salute to the leader of the people! Hope you tin safely return!"

The man's sanction is among worldly related to the protestation that has been censored online. No references to the incidental could beryllium recovered connected Chinese societal media tract Weibo arsenic connected Friday morning.

Footage and pictures of the protestation and related keywords including "Haidian", "Beijing protester" and "Sitong bridge" were rapidly scrubbed. Phrases tangentially related to the protest, including "bridge" and "hero", besides returned constricted results.

Although Chinese media person not reported connected the incident, erstwhile Global Times exertion Hu Xijin appeared to notation to it erstwhile helium tweeted connected Thursday evening that the "vast majority" of Chinese radical supported Communist Party regularisation and were "hoping for stableness and opposing upheaval".

Many Chinese person reported that their accounts connected societal media platforms oregon WeChat - China's biggest messaging app - had been temporarily banned aft they shared pictures of the protestation oregon posted messages alluding to the protest.

The BBC has reached retired to Tencent, WeChat's genitor company, for confirmation.

Such melodramatic protestation - and nationalist disapproval of the authorities - is uncommon successful China, though China's pugnacious "zero Covid" argumentation has fuelled increasing nationalist frustration.

In 2018 a pistillate who defaced a poster of Mr Xi, saying she opposed his "tyranny", was aboriginal admitted to a psychiatric hospital.

The Beijing protester's actions travel astatine an particularly politically delicate time, with thousands of constabulary officers expected to beryllium mobilised crossed the superior up of the week-long enactment congress.