The "white paper revolution": Why are the Chinese protesting with white sheets?
The protests against covid policies in China are marked by blank white sheets carried by protesters, which is why the protests have been called the "white paper revolution" or the "A4 revolution", it states BBC, adding that the reason for the white paper demonstrations could be to avoid censorship.
In the viral video, which was filmed on Saturday, a woman from the Nanjing College of Communication holds a blank piece of paper in the air and is then carried away by an unidentified man.
This is an extraordinary, historic moment in China
Protests are breaking out across the country - from Beijing, to elite colleges, to other major cities, and even far flung places
Shocking to hear people chanting for Xi to step down
This is people past their breaking point @cnn pic.twitter.com/6lccNGIycT— Selina Wang (@selinawangtv) November 27, 2022
In another video, taken the same day, dozens of students on campus carried blank papers and stood in silence. Similar scenes could be seen in other major Chinese cities over the weekend.
"There's definitely nothing on paper, but we know what it means," one woman who took part in the protest in Shanghai on Saturday night told the BBC.
People in Beijing marching on the third ring road... singing... and holding up empty white papers...
The empty white paper symbolizes their protest against censorship in China. 🔥🔥🔥
🔊sound...🧐#China #ChinaProtests pic.twitter.com/Rwg24s9Nul
—Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) November 27, 2022
New arrests in Shanghai during protests against strict anti-Covid measures