Chinese filmmaker faces trial for documenting rare COVID-19 lockdown protests
What's the story
Chinese filmmaker Chen Pinlin is scheduled to go on trial on Monday over his documentary on China's nationwide protests against COVID-19 lockdowns in late 2022, reported CNN.
Per reports, the Shanghai court has charged him with "picking quarrels and provoking trouble," a common accusation reportedly used by the Chinese government to silence dissent.
If convicted, Chen could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.
Arrest details
Chen's arrest followed release of documentary on 'White Paper' protests
Chen, aka "Plato," was arrested in January 2024 after the release of his documentary on the first anniversary of the "White Paper" protests.
The protests were sparked by a deadly apartment fire in Urumqi in November 2022, which many felt was worsened by pandemic lockdown measures.
The incident ignited widespread anger and nationwide demonstrations against President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy and demanding greater political freedoms.
Protest impact
'White paper' protests: A significant challenge to China's leadership
The "White Paper" protests were the biggest challenge to China's leadership, especially leader Xi. Protesters in Shanghai even demanded Xi's resignation, a rare political defiance.
The demonstrations eventually died down after a security crackdown by authorities and the Chinese government's lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
However, despite the large-scale protests, the Chinese government maintained silence and never publicly acknowledged the unrest.
Documentary purpose
Chen's documentary aimed to counter the government's narrative
Chen's documentary, released on YouTube and X/Twitter—both blocked in China—was named Urumqi Middle Road in Chinese and Not the Foreign Force in English.
The filmmaker said he wanted to counter the government's attempt to discredit the protests by blaming "foreign forces."
In a post accompanying the documentary release, Chen wrote, "I hope to explore why, whenever internal conflicts arise in China, foreign forces are always made the scapegoat."
Advocacy efforts
International rights groups demand Chen's release
International rights groups have been calling for Chen's release since his arrest.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released a statement in March, saying that Chen "has only ever served the public interest by reporting on historical protests against the regime's abuses and should never have been arrested."
They called on democracies to ramp up pressure on Chinese authorities to ensure all charges against Chen are dropped.