Committee Adopts Motion to Express Support for Chinese Protesters, Warns Against ‘A Repeat’ of Tiananmen Massacre

Demonstrators hold blank signs during a protest in Beijing on Nov. 28, 2022. (Bloomberg)

Members of the Special Committee on Canada-China Relations have unanimously passed a motion to express support for the massive protests in China against the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its draconian “zero-COVID” policy.

The motion was introduced by Conservative MP Michael Chong on Nov. 29, and was presented to the House on Dec. 1 by Liberal MP Ken Hardie, who chairs the committee.

The motion reads: “That the committee express its support for the brave and courageous Chinese protestors who are fighting for their fundamental human rights and freedoms of association and expression, and call on Beijing to respect the right to peaceful assembly and avoid a repeat of the Tiananmen Square massacre of 5 June 1989, and request the government respond to this report under Standing Order 109.”

The strict lockdown measures, implemented as part of the CCP’s “zero-COVID” policy, reportedly resulted in first responders being unable to reach an apartment fire in Urumqi, the capital city of China’s Xinjiang Province, leaving at least 10 people dead. Protests broke out across Urumqi on Nov. 25, and have inspired more protests nationwide.

Many protesters, including those in Beijing and Shanghai, were seen shouting slogans of “down with the Communist Party” and calling for Chinese leader Xi Jinping to resign—which is a rare scene in China.

The protest has been dubbed the “Blank Paper Revolution,” a reference to the protesters who were seen holding up a sheet of blank paper as a way to evade censorship, but also as a symbol of defiance against the Beijing regime’s censorship. Some protesters also told reporters that the gesture is a nod to the Soviet-era joke that there is no need to voice a slogan when “everyone knows” the problem, reported the New Yorker.

Many students and dissidents of the Chinese communist regime around the world have also held demonstrations to show solidarity with those fighting for freedom in China. Protests were held in Canada, the United States, Japan, and many European countries.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed support for the Chinese protesters on Nov. 29, a day after Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre asked in the House of Commons if the government would voice support for the demonstrators and advocate for their right to peaceful protest.

“Canadians are watching very closely,” Trudeau said. “Obviously everyone in China should be allowed to express themselves, should be allowed to share their perspectives, and, indeed, protest.”