Oct. 13 marks the first anniversary of one man’s protest on the Beijing Sitong Bridge against the authoritarian rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its leader, Xi Jinping. U.S. House China Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) nominated Peng Lifa, known as “the Bridgeman,” for the Nobel Peace Prize.
At the same time, overseas Chinese in many cities around the world held rallies in front of Chinese consulates shouting slogans against the CCP’s authoritarian rule and calling for the release of Mr. Peng, whose whereabouts are still unknown.
On Oct. 13, 2022, during the communist regime’s 3-year draconian COVID-19 lockdowns, Mr. Peng strung up banners on Sitong bridge over Beijing’s bustling Third Ring Road.
The banners read: “We don’t want COVID tests, we want food. We don’t want Cultural Revolution, we want reform. We don’t want lockdowns, we want freedom. We don’t want an autocrat, we want votes. We don’t want lies, we want dignity. We are citizens, not slaves.”
He was quickly taken away by CCP police.
The video of Mr. Peng’s one-man protest went viral and ignited protests across China, which led to the CCP abandoning the lockdowns and restrictions in December 2022.
Mr. Gallagher recounted Mr. Peng’s story in a video message to share his courage with the world.
He also criticized Apple Inc. for helping the CCP attempt to prevent the Chinese people from sharing videos of Mr. Peng’s story and protests inspired by him in China. “Apple rolls out an update in November [2022],” he said, adding that “Apple’s AirDrop update has helped choke off the protests,” he said.
Rep. Gallagher said it’s a story about “courage and cowardice.”
“Today, I’m nominating Peng Lifa for the Nobel Prize,” he says in the closing moments of the video. “The world needs to hear his story—one that I fear Apple doesn’t want you to hear.
“We don’t want lies, we want dignity.”
The Sitong Bridge protest shocked the world. Over the past year, despite extensive searches by volunteers, Mr. Peng’s whereabouts are still unknown after he was detained by CCP police.
Li Shengliang, founder of the “CCP Fiend List,” told The Epoch Times that he and other volunteers eventually located Mr. Peng’s relatives and friends, but none of them knew where Mr. Peng was being held, and his family did not receive any notification. Even his relatives and friends were controlled and silenced by the regime.
“The Sitong Bridge protest awakened the entire Chinese populace to take action,” Mr. Lin said. “For the first time, they shouted on the streets to take down the Communist Party. This inspired too many people.”
“We should always remember Peng Lifa (also known as Peng Zaizhou) for his contributions to the Chinese people’s pursuit of freedom, democracy, and human rights,” Mr. Lin added. “If given the opportunity, I hope he can be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Former Beijing lawyer Liang Shaohua told The Epoch Times on Oct. 14: “We strongly agree with the nomination of Peng Lifa as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. The whole world is paying attention to Peng Lifa, not only the Chinese world, but the entire democratic world.”
“Under the severe suppression of the CCP, when Chinese society entered the state of a chilling effect, he shouted out what people want in public,” he added.
“It was precisely because of his actions that led to the subsequent White Paper Movement, which put an end to the ‘Zero-COVID’ policy that harmed the country and the people. This is of great significance.”
Protests Spring up Around World in Support of Peng
On Oct. 14, Chinese democratic activists held a rally in front of the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles, demanding that the CCP release Mr. Peng. “Where is Peng Lifa?” they shouted. Chinese immigrants also held banners in front of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and on overpass in LA to support Mr. Peng.
On Oct. 13, in Times Square in Manhattan, New York, pro-democracy Chinese held a rally to demand that the CCP release Mr. Peng.
On Oct. 14, dozens of overseas Chinese held a rally to support Mr. Peng in New Zealand. There were also some Chinese who held banners in front of the “June 4 [Tiananmen Massacre] Monument,” shouting slogans to take down the Communist Party and repeated Mr. Peng’s slogans on Sitong Bridge, demanding his release.
That same day, Chinese immigrants in London held banners and shouted slogans in support of Mr. Peng in front of the Chinese Consulate. Some protesters also hung multiple banners on London Bridge, including copies of the Sitong Bridge Banners, “CCP step down,” “Where is Peng Lifa?” and others.
Li Yun and Li Yuanming contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times
