As the Beijing September 3rd military parade approaches, the Chinese Communist authorities are unusually tense, with Beijing in a state of high alert and stability maintenance measures escalating day by day. Those entering Beijing Station must undergo bag checks, with security personnel stationed at every level. Armed police and special forces can be seen everywhere, rows of soldiers sit in the subway, and military police with police dogs closely watch passengers at the subway car doors, creating a tense atmosphere as if facing a major enemy.
This year marks the second “War Parade” since Xi Jinping took office in 2015, and this parade has undergone three rehearsals. The first rehearsal took place from the evening of August 9th to the early hours of August 10th, with about 22,000 participants. The second rehearsal was on August 18th, with the scale expanded to 40,000 people, and the third rehearsal was from 5 pm on August 23rd to 5 am on August 24th. Each rehearsal in the Chang’an Street area requires traffic control measures, with tightened security in the surroundings. Even food delivery services are prohibited, causing inconvenience to the local residents in Beijing.
Beijing resident Zhou Zheng (pseudonym) told Epoch Times, “Drones have long been prohibited from taking off, stating a need to clean up the sky because they have recording capabilities. Chang’an Street has been sealed off, you can’t access it, security personnel are everywhere, and the security measures have been upgraded. Beneath Chang’an Street is Line 1, not only has the security check been enhanced, but Tiananmen Square station has started to skip stops early on, closing off even more areas. It seems to be all like this.”
During the military parade on September 3rd, core scenic areas such as Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City will be closed on September 2-3, with a flow restriction along Chang’an Street. Some subway stations on Lines 1, 2, and 4 will temporarily skip stops, and taxi pick-ups and drop-offs will be prohibited within the Second Ring Road on September 3rd.
Zhou Zheng stated, “The military parade has a significant impact on tourists coming to Beijing from other places. Many people want to see the military parade in Beijing, but in reality, they can’t get in at all, not even close to the perimeter, and some attractions are closed. Places like the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square are inaccessible; they all require security checks, which were necessary before but now are completely prohibited.”
Beijing resident Li Chun (pseudonym) told Epoch Times, “Returning to Beijing from Nanjing, just a bottle of water, security personnel make you take a sip in front of them, otherwise you can’t bring the water in. Entering Beijing Railway Station is like entering a military base, with high fences outside, at least four or five posts to pass. When I reached the last post, I saw many people having their bags opened layer by layer for inspection, whether it was tissues or underwear, everything was checked.”
Li Chun commented, “The military parade is making use of every possible resource, so try not to go out unless necessary. ID checks and facial scans are required when walking, and police and police dogs accompany you on public transportation, intimidating the common people. The situation is very serious to the extent that there are not many people on the train, maybe only three or four passengers, but there are a lot of police officers with police dogs. They monitor the common people, not allowing you to speak or move randomly, only to obey orders.”