Mystery protester hailed as ‘new tank man’ mounts bridge in Beijing to drape large anti-Xi banners

WeChat users who shared pictures of the demonstration reportedly had their accounts suspended

In a rare show of political protest in China, a mysterious person hung banners from a bridge in Beijing, calling for freedom and an end to the country’s zero-Covid policy.

In the large banners mounted on the Sitong bridge in the Haidian district of Beijing, the protester called for an end to lockdowns and for worker and student strikes to force Chinese president Xi Jinping out, Associated Press reported.

The handwritten banners were removed quickly and any mention of the protest is being erased from the internet as the ruling Communist Party bolsters security in the lead-up to its historic political meeting where president Xi is expected to win his third term as party leader.