In China, the death of at least 10 people including several children has triggered the common people to come on the streets who could be seen holding A4-sized papers as a symbol of protest which stands mightier than any sword.

A building in China caught fire on December 4 in the city of Urumqi whose emergency exit was allegedly blocked by Chinese officials due to Covid restrictions. “For those who died in the fire, for those who have died and are going to die, join me tonight (Sunday), because they are us’” wrote a protester in a private WeChat group to urge people to gather for the “White Paper” event. White stands for funerals and mourning in China. “No to Covid tests, yes to freedom” is one of their many slogans.

Protesters used humorous memes, Mandarin word plays, famous mathematical equations, and even plain white paper to express their grievances in the protest which also came to be known as ‘A4 movement’. A Chinese woman identifying herself as Hazel said that the white paper protest is inspired by a Soviet-era dissenter who protested with a white paper, and replied to the police when asked about the same, that there was no need for words as “Everyone knows”. Protesters could also be seen shouting ironical chantings when stopped from yelling anti-lockdown slogans. They screamed “More lockdowns” and “I want to do Covid tests” etc.