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<p>Three years after being detained for publishing the videos of overcrowded hospitals and bodies at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, Chinese authorities are preparing to release Fang Bin, the citizen journalist who alerted the world about what was to come.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Fang began posting videos of himself reporting on the Covid situation in Wuhan in&nbsp;January 2020. The Covid outbreak had devastated the city, home to over 11 million residents. A 76-day hard lockdown was announced by the administration and it was then that the likes of Fang and other citizen journalists started telling their stories and those of others. Although the movement was small in scale, it defied the mandate issued by the Communist Party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As soon as authorities got hold of the videos, he was given warnings but subsequently detained. In the last video, Fang posted a piece of paper reading, “All citizens resist, hand power back to the people.” By February, Fang disappeared from the public eye and alongside him, another citizen journalist named Chen Qiushi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to media reports, Fang was sentenced to three years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble", which is a vague term, often used to refer to political dissidence.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-slams-who-for-politicising-origins-of-covid-580547"><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;China slams WHO for politicising origins of Covid</strong></a></p>

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<p>According to an AP report, Fang was scheduled to be released on Sunday (April 30) but it hadn't been confirmed by the authorities till reports came in last. Efforts to reach the prison authorities did not yield any results either.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>Another whistleblower</b></p>

<p>Apart from Fang, it was Dr Li Wenliang, a 33-year-old ophthalmologist who made the headlines for being one of the first whistleblowers. He was penalised by Chinese authorities for making "false statements," and ultimately while fighting for patients, succumbed to Covid. What followed was public grief and rage after his passing.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/li-wenliang-people-pay-tribute-to-hero-doctor-as-china-eases-strict-covid-restrictions-541325" target="_blank"><strong>ALSO READ | Li Wenliang: People pay tribute to 'hero' doctor as China eases strict Covid restrictions</strong></a></p>

<p>China was the ground zero of the pandemic and one of the last countries to let go of the restrictions. The country under President Xi Jinping employed a zero-Covid tolerance policy which created horrific scenes. It was only in December last year that the communist regime lifted the draconian policy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After a relative period of normalcy, cases started to increase in mainland China earlier this week. On Wednesday, the Chinese authorities urged the citizens to be cautious and also instructed hospitals to be on high alert as the holiday weekend approached.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-cases-reportedly-rising-in-china-a-matter-of-global-concern-586624" target="_blank"><strong>ALSO READ | COVID-19 cases reportedly rising in China. A matter of global concern?</strong></a></p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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Three years after being detained for publishing the videos of overcrowded hospitals and bodies at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, Chinese authorities are preparing to release Fang Bin, the citizen journalist who alerted the world about what was to come.

Three years after being detained for publishing the videos of overcrowded hospitals and bodies at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, Chinese authorities are preparing to release Fang Bin, the citizen journalist who alerted the world about what was to come. Fang began posting videos of himself reporting on the Covid situation in Wuhan in January 2020. The Covid outbreak had devastated the city, home to over 11 million residents. A 76-day hard lockdown was announced by the administration and it was then that the likes of Fang and other citizen journalists started telling their stories and those of others. Although the movement was small in scale, it defied the mandate issued by the Communist Party. As soon as authorities got hold of the videos, he was given warnings but subsequently detained. In the last video, Fang posted a piece of paper reading, “All citizens resist, hand power back to the people.” By February, Fang disappeared from the public eye and alongside him, another citizen journalist named Chen Qiushi. According to media reports, Fang was sentenced to three years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble", which is a vague term, often used to refer to political dissidence. WATCH | China slams WHO for politicising origins of Covid × According to an AP report, Fang was scheduled to be released on Sunday (April 30) but it hadn't been confirmed by the authorities till reports came in last. Efforts to reach the prison authorities did not yield any results either. Another whistleblower Apart from Fang, it was Dr Li Wenliang, a 33-year-old ophthalmologist who made the headlines for being one of the first whistleblowers. He was penalised by Chinese authorities for making "false statements," and ultimately while fighting for patients, succumbed to Covid. What followed was public grief and rage after his passing. ALSO READ | Li Wenliang: People pay tribute to 'hero' doctor as China eases strict Covid restrictions China was the ground zero of the pandemic and one of the last countries to let go of the restrictions. The country under President Xi Jinping employed a zero-Covid tolerance policy which created horrific scenes. It was only in December last year that the communist regime lifted the draconian policy. After a relative period of normalcy, cases started to increase in mainland China earlier this week. On Wednesday, the Chinese authorities urged the citizens to be cautious and also instructed hospitals to be on high alert as the holiday weekend approached. ALSO READ | COVID-19 cases reportedly rising in China. A matter of global concern? (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Fang Bin, Chinese 'citizen journalist' who reported on COVID-19 to be released after 3 years

<p>China was taking all possible steps to prevent escalation of Covid protests in the country on Tuesday. The police were out in force in Beijing and Shanghai to keep protesters away who even called for Xi Jinping to step down as president. Notably, Covid curbs have disrupted the lives of millions or people in the country and damaged the economy. However, Beijing doesn't seem to be in the mood to loosen restrictions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>At least one person in the city of Hangzhou was arrested late on Monday, according to social media videos. Earlier, reports suggested that busload of demontrators were taken away by police during Sunday night protests in Shanghai. On Monday, the police stopped and searched people at the sites of weekend protests.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-monitoring-rare-unrest-in-china-as-people-demand-freedom-from-covid-measures-538333">Joe Biden 'monitoring' rare unrest in China as protesters demand freedom from Covid measures</a></p>

<p>The people are reportedly also being asked to show their phones to check if they have virtual private networks (VPNs) and the Telegram app, the platform used to spread the message about the protests. While VPN is illegal in the country, Telegram app is blocked from China's internet. A video also showed police arresting a man while a group of people around them try to pull back the person being detained.</p>

<p>In Hangzhou, the capital of the eastern Zhejiang province, hundreds of police occupied a large public square on Monday night to stop people from gathering, social media videos suggested.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Tuesday morning, in Shanghai and Beijing, police patrolled those areas where people could gather again, as per messages being circulated on the Telegram app. Their presence on Monday evening and throughout the night ensured no more gatherings took place.</p>

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<p>On Sunday evening, people gathered near a riverbank in Beijing to hold a vigil for victims of a deadly apartment blaze in north-western China’s Xinjiang region. The fire in Urumqui is what led to the protests flaring up in the country with people saying that Covid curbs led to a delay in rescue operations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One of them told AFP that she and five of her friends had received calls from police to know about their movements. One of them was also visited by the police who asked "whether I went to the Liangma river last night ... he asked very specifically how many people were there, what time I went, how I heard about it,” she told AFP.</p>

<p>“The police stressed that last night’s protest was an illegal assembly, and if we had demands then we could submit them through the regular channels.”</p>

<p>On Sunday, a large crowd gathered in the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu and chanted, "We don't want lifelong rulers. We don't want emperors." Anti-Xi slogans were briefly heard in Shanghai on Sunday as well.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


China was taking all possible steps to prevent escalation of Covid protests in the country on Tuesday. The police were out in force in Beijing and Shanghai to keep protesters away who even called for Xi Jinping to step down as president.

China was taking all possible steps to prevent escalation of Covid protests in the country on Tuesday. The police were out in force in Beijing and Shanghai to keep protesters away who even called for Xi Jinping to step down as president. Notably, Covid curbs have disrupted the lives of millions or people in the country and damaged the economy. However, Beijing doesn't seem to be in the mood to loosen restrictions. At least one person in the city of Hangzhou was arrested late on Monday, according to social media videos. Earlier, reports suggested that busload of demontrators were taken away by police during Sunday night protests in Shanghai. On Monday, the police stopped and searched people at the sites of weekend protests. Also Read | Joe Biden 'monitoring' rare unrest in China as protesters demand freedom from Covid measures The people are reportedly also being asked to show their phones to check if they have virtual private networks (VPNs) and the Telegram app, the platform used to spread the message about the protests. While VPN is illegal in the country, Telegram app is blocked from China's internet. A video also showed police arresting a man while a group of people around them try to pull back the person being detained. In Hangzhou, the capital of the eastern Zhejiang province, hundreds of police occupied a large public square on Monday night to stop people from gathering, social media videos suggested. On Tuesday morning, in Shanghai and Beijing, police patrolled those areas where people could gather again, as per messages being circulated on the Telegram app. Their presence on Monday evening and throughout the night ensured no more gatherings took place. × On Sunday evening, people gathered near a riverbank in Beijing to hold a vigil for victims of a deadly apartment blaze in north-western China’s Xinjiang region. The fire in Urumqui is what led to the protests flaring up in the country with people saying that Covid curbs led to a delay in rescue operations. One of them told AFP that she and five of her friends had received calls from police to know about their movements. One of them was also visited by the police who asked "whether I went to the Liangma river last night ... he asked very specifically how many people were there, what time I went, how I heard about it,” she told AFP. “The police stressed that last night’s protest was an illegal assembly, and if we had demands then we could submit them through the regular channels.” On Sunday, a large crowd gathered in the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu and chanted, "We don't want lifelong rulers. We don't want emperors." Anti-Xi slogans were briefly heard in Shanghai on Sunday as well. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Police force takes over the streets of China to prevent Covid demonstrations

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Fang Bin, Chinese 'citizen journalist' who reported on COVID-19 to be released after 3 years

Police force takes over the streets of China to prevent Covid demonstrations