Absurdity of repressing free speech in an age of the internet and social media is laid bare China censors inflatable duck to protect former President from criticism

According to the New York Times:

Online discussion of Mr. Jiang, 87, who retired as party chief in 2002 and as president in 2003, has triggered censorship before. In 2011, rumors about his health led to the blocking of several search terms related to his surname, which means “river.”

Mr. Hofman’s yellow duck has also been the subject of online censorship in China. Last year, during the June 3-4 anniversary of the deadly crackdown on the 1989 protests in Beijing and other Chinese cities, an altered version of the famous Tank Man photo appeared online, with the Chinese Army tanks replaced by yellow ducks. As a result, “Big Yellow Duck” became a blocked term during the sensitive anniversary.

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