The Middle East uprisings are the Chinese government sweat. Public security officials warned foreign journalists “that they had broken reporting regulations by visiting locations that had been marked as protest sites in Internet postings,” the New York Times reported.
This directive is apparently in response to what China sees as online messages relating to a “Jasmine revolution.” Wall Street Journal reports the hacking group Anonymous may be responsible for encouraging a Middle East-style uprising in China.
The Foreign Correspondent’s Club of China said, “Journalists are being told the requirement to obtain permission prior to reporting in open spaces applies to all of China.”
In Shanghai, not only are correspondents facing a crackdown, but also other foreigners. Irish groups had to cancel a St. Patrick’s Day parade expected to attract more than 2,000 people. Why? The Times reports, “The parade was to have taken place on a major street close to a cinema where the Internet postings had urged people to gather every Sunday to show their displeasure with the Chinese government.”
On Tuesday, protest organizers spoke out against officials, writing, “now China’s government clearly shows its horror and fear of the people, as if facing a deadly enemy. A modest amount of people, just by walking, has demonstrated people’s power, and the government’s response has revealed its weakness to the world.”
