First Anniversary of Peng Lifa’s Sitong Bridge Protest Sparks Global Commemoration

On October 13, 2022, Peng Lifa (also known as Peng Zaizhou) held his now world-famous protest at Sitong Bridge in Beijing, which ignited the courage of young Chinese activists at home and abroad. On October 13, the Instagram account "Citizens Daily" (@citizensdailycn) published a post with the title "One Person's Bravery Cannot be Without an Echo." This post sparked the "movement of banners and posters" and related protests.

A month and a half later, the protest slogan “we don’t want COVID tests, we want to eat; don't be a slave, be a citizen” was chanted on Urumqi Middle Road in Shanghai, Liangma Bridge in Beijing and countless other places, becoming the most iconic chant of the “White Paper Movement.” A year later, the zero-COVID policy became history amid the protests, but Peng Lifa’s courage is still remembered by many people. On the first anniversary of the Sitong Bridge protest, many people held spontaneous actions to commemorate Peng's heroic deeds.

New York, United States

On October 13, 2023, the New York Democratic Youth Community launched a screencast protest in Times Square. Zhou Fengsuo, Executive Director of Human Rights in China, and other democracy activists also participated. A large screen in Times Square displayed the slogan "Keep The Bridge and Stay Connected" in memory of Peng Lifa, as well as a picture of a peace dove on the bridge symbolizing Peng Lifa's protest. These two pictures were the only ones not censored by the hosting company TSX, which refuses to display any mention or image of Peng Lifa or his protest.

The New York protest coincided with Mike Gallagher, Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP, nominating Peng Lifa for the Nobel Peace Prize that same day. Zhou Fengsuo held up a picture of Peng Lifa with the words "Peng Lifa for Nobel Peace Prize" written on it to support his nomination.

(Photos of the New York protest provided by Zhou Fengsuo.)

London, England

On October 13, 2023, China Deviants, a Chinese youth organization located in London, held an event to commemorate the first anniversary of the Sitong Bridge protest. Participants hung banners with the words "Where is Peng Zaizhou?" and "we don’t want rulers, we want votes" on London Bridge, and chanted "we are all Peng Lifa."

(Image source: Instagram account @china_deviants)

Berlin, Germany

According to a post on the Instagram account "German Democracy Wall" (@mydutyinde) from October 13th, a group of German youth activists wearing pictures of Peng Lifa’s face and carrying large banners they created together walked over several overpasses in Berlin. Organizers wrote, "On the first anniversary of the Sitong Bridge, we in Berlin are still here, continuing to express ourselves and refusing to forget."

(Image source: Instagram account @mydutyinde)

Irvine, United States

On October 14, 2023, according to the Instagram account "UCI Democracy Wall" (@uci_wod), students at the University of California, Irvine hung protest banners on a bridge to commemorate the first anniversary of the Sitong Bridge protest. The account stated "...while we organized, made, and hung up with the banners with our like-minded peers, we felt our agency that they have long-denied us.”

(Image source: Instagram account @uci_wod)

Vancouver, Canada

On October 23, 2023, several Chinese and Hong Kong immigrants made their own banners and slogans to spontaneously commemorate Peng Lifa in downtown Vancouver.

In addition to offline rallies, many overseas students have continued the “Movement of Banners and Posters” from a year ago and put up supportive posters on university campuses. According to the Instagram account "Citizens Daily" (@citizensdailycn), banners, posters and candles commemorating Peng Lifa appeared in Florence, Italy; Washington, DC; Boston; Colorado; Duke University; Northeastern University; and Durham University.

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