Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series on how police cracked down on participants of the “blank paper” protests against China’s zero-COVID policy that broke out in November 2022.

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. Protesters in ...

So often one item comes to symbolise an entire protest movement. In China, that item is a humble piece of blank paper. As dusk fell on Shanghai on Sunday evening, some of those who gathered at a vigil ...