China’s protest zones echo with the sound of silence

FILE; Feng Li/Getty Images

Protesters just can’t win in China these days. Now, even those who have requested official permission to protest in Beijing are being arrested, including a handful of citizens upset about having their homes destroyed in preparation for the big games. One would-be demonstrator, Zhang Wei, was even given a sentence of 30 days after repeatedly applying to protest about her forced home eviction.

Given the nature of the protest application process, it’s not surprising that the three city parks “designated” as protest zones (and patrolled daily by police) have remained pretty quiet. Two, in fact — Shije “World” Park (shown above in June) and Ritan Park — have reportedly remained 100 percent protest-free since the opening ceremonies.

It all makes the words of Wang Wei, the Beijing Olympic Committee’s executive vice president, sound pretty empty. Here are his comments from today’s press conference in Beijing on press freedom:

[T]he Olympic Games coming to China will help China to open up further and to reform.”

Tell it to Zhang Wei.