Chi Li Ying, the thirty-year-old who tweets from Italy the videos banned in his homeland: People here are free and relaxed. Not with us. The pressures on the family, the company of cats: I won’t stop
Gets videos of protests in China, by the thousands, censored by social media at home. And thousands repost them on Twitter from an account that broadcasts London radio – but digital and worldwide – of protests in Chinese cities against anti-Covid restrictions and against Xi.
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Images of the protests reached the rest of the world, not an exaggeration, thanks in large part to him. He tweets day and night, with calm and patience that draws from the awareness that the heroes are those in the streets. And he does it from Italy, where he has lived since 2015. With him four cats: Li Guolai (come), Dian Dian (one point), Jiang Bao (burst sauce, cryptic explanation), and Da Mi (big treasure). His portrait of tabby Li Guolai the avatar that made his Twitter account famous, @whyyoutouzhele, 850k followers growing by thousands every day. His online name Teacher Li, or prof. There; the real one, unveiled to the world yesterday by Washington Post who photographed him at his desk in his home in Milan, Li Ying: painter, 30 years old, born in southern China to a father who was already persecuted under Mao. Graduated in Fine Arts in Carrara; favorite Italian artist Gianni Dess, graduated in scenography with Toti Scialoja and my teacher. Italy has given me a new way of looking at the world. Relaxed, free. People are not under pressure like us.
The pressure to which he refers is summarized, for example, as follows: The Chinese police discovered my Twitter and last Saturday they first called my parents, then visited them at midnight. They harass them by asking who I am paid by. My father called to tell me to stop: I’m an artist, I shouldn’t be involved in politics.
Contagious?
No. Now my account is a symbol of the Chinese pursuit of free speech. And then it’s true, I wouldn’t have dealt with these things. I drew romantic pictures. But the continued censorship of the government towards me, towards us suffocating. During the pandemic, on the Chinese social network Weibo, I saw myself cancel 52 accounts in two months. In the end I considered it almost performance art.
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??????????????????? pic.twitter.com/1OG1SOB7Ux— ???????? (@whyyoutouzhele) December 11, 2022
How did it start?
On November 26, someone forwarded me a video: a crowd chanted “Xi Jinping, step down!”. With some embarrassment I say that I froze. Online, for example on Weibo, its name is not even pronounced. Then I reposted. Since then, I’ve been sharing everything I get.
Do you also receive threats?
Sure, and I ignore them.
Since when did you start your dissidence?
Since the beginning of the epidemic. There are no newspapers in China reporting popular discontent. People have to stand up for themselves.
Now the Chinese government has relaxed anti-Covid policies that were contested. Do you think it is also thanks to the protests?
I think so. Not because they care about our lives, but because they have to deal with popular anger. This is the first national protest in three decades. The Chinese are very moderate – and this is also why we remain as we are – and seeing them take to the streets is very important.
Have you returned to China?
Not since 2019. Tickets are very expensive for us. Now for I’m worried here too. I have read that there are many Chinese policemen in Italy and I fear for my safety. I have no idea how to guarantee it. Do you think it is possible that Italy could expel them? Other countries in Europe do.
December 11, 2022 (change December 11, 2022 | 20:47)
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