On July 23, Shanghai residents Gu Guoping, Hu Jianguo, Liu Dongbao, Yang Yonglan, Zhao Dadi, Cui Shiyunzi, Yu Zhonghuan and others made banners welcoming the visit of European Commission President Von der Leyen to China, while calling on her to pay attention to the dire human rights situation in China and uploaded photos online.
This photo caused alarm in the Shanghai police. On July 26, Liu Dongbao, Zhao Dadi, Yu Zhonghuan, and Gu Guoping were summoned by the local police station to be interviewed and records taken.
Since the evening of July 25 until today, the police have knocked on Hu Jianguo’s door four times, but he refused to open it, so the police did not take him away.
Earlier, Gu Guoping told a reporter, “Because we posted banners online to welcome European Commission President Von der Leyen to visit China and highlight the dire human rights situation in China, I received a call from my hometown (relocation site) police station last night, asking about the banners and whether I know Zhao Dadi from Changning District.”
He also told the reporter that Liu Dongbao, Yu Zhonghuan, and Zhao Dadi were summoned this morning. They were not provided lunch by noon, leaving them hungry, and it’s now 2 p.m. with no record-taking yet. I feel it’s outrageous for the police to restrict freedom under the guise of summons. Even in prison or detention centers, people are provided meals, but denying food at the police station is extremely malicious!”
Around 5 o’clock, Gu Guoping left a message for the reporter, “Three police officers from the incident site (relocation site) police station came to my house, they arrived at 4:10, now they are taking me to do the records at Zhoujiaqiao police station in Changning District.”
Around 7 p.m., Gu Guoping returned home. He described the main points of the record from that evening, “It’s about our plea to Von der Leyen to pay attention to the dire human rights situation in China. The police said that using the words ‘dire’ is damaging the image of the party and the country, causing a very negative impact internationally.”
Gu Guoping said, “I said, what kind of party are you? Your party seizes our property, forces my parents to death, broke four of my ribs, sentenced to prison after being detained, my 8-year-old daughter broke her finger twice at school, and you want an 8-year-old child to bear civil liability. What kind of party’s image is this? A trash country that bullies ordinary people! You are tarnishing yourselves, we did not authorize you to manage this country, you have no legitimacy.”
The deputy director of Zhoujiaqiao police station brought up the poster for “International Day of Conscience,” saying, “This poster is more sensitive, it has your photo on it, by posting this online, it caught the attention of the higher-ups.”
Gu Guoping responded, “It’s the line below the poster: ‘Supporting conscientious prisoners persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party.’ This sentence triggered their sensitivity.”
Additionally, on the morning of July 27, Yang Yonglan will be taken to the black prison on Changxing Island for stabilization and control.
As of the deadline, it was learned that Zhao Dadi had already returned home in the evening, while Yu Zhonghuan and Liu Dongbao are currently uncontactable.