2,000 delegates of the Chinese Communist Party are gathered in Beijing to hold a congress & elect a new national leadership. All sorts of restrictions have been installed--primarily, of course, on public protest. Many transport restrictions have been laid down, including on taxis, whose drivers were ordered to disable their rear-window controls so anti-government messages could not be tossed out; street vendors have been told to close; & flying kites & balloons are banned. According to the NY Times, running marathons, academic conferences, pet adoption fairs, film productions & jazz concerts have all been canceled or postponed across China. Amnesty International reports the detainment or house arrest of over 130 political dissidents.
What does it say about the popularity of this regime when, in addition to its regular police force, it has trained thousands of paramilitary troops & brought in a reported 1.4 million “volunteers” for security around the Great Hall of the People where the congress is being held!? One thing it says for sure is that you can fly a million red flags with hammers & sickles but you can’t fool all the people all the time. (Photo by AP)
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