China democracy protests growing in strength and frequency as new protest erupts over press

Chinese press freedom and democracy weakness is a real danger

Protesters gather at China newspaper in censorship row

AFP – Protestors gathered on Monday at the offices of a Chinese newspaper at the centre of a censorship row, in a rare public demonstration in support of media freedom in the country. Hundreds of people were outside the Southern Weekly’s office in Guangzhou, according to online reports, with one banner reading.

A statue of former Chinese Communist Party chief Hu Yaobang, a reformer whose death sparked the Tiananmen Square democracy protests, has been set up in the coastal city of Taizhou, state media reported on Monday. The bronze image, depicting Hu looking into the distance, was unveiled Sunday in Dachen.

China will stop using its long-criticised “re-education” labour camps this year, state media quoted a senior official saying Monday — only for reports of the news to disappear within hours. The fate of the announcement — at once historic but also short-lived — offered a rare glimpse behind.