China: Man Detained For 9 Days For Sharing Dog Meme That Apparently 'Insulted' The Police
The man, identified only by his surname Li, allegedly sent the meme on the Chinese social media platform WeChat, in a group exchange complaining about the local Covid-19 prevention and control measures late last month.
You never know what can really offend people nowadays and a Chinese man learnt it the hard way.
This Chinese man was reportedly detained for nine days after sending a meme to a group chat that was deemed offensive to police in an incident that has gone viral on Chinese social media.
As per the CNN report, the man had sent the meme on the social media application WeChat, where they were exchanging views on local COVID prevention measures. The people were reportedly engaged in complaining about the measures that were implemented by local authorities in order to control the spread of COVID-19, CNN reported citing local media.
CNN
Reportedly, Police in Qingtongxia city, in Ningxia region, posted a screenshot of Li¡¯s text exchange on Chinese social media but later removed the post. State-run outlet The Paper published further details of the incident that has provoked consternation in China, with a related hashtag garnering 170 million views.
Many protested Li's punishment, arguing that the use of an internet joke was hardly grounds for being detained by police.
Firstpost
According to The Paper, Li sent a meme showing a dog in a police hat, holding a police badge and pointing at the camera. It's a common image that has been used widely online before, with different variations sometimes including a cat or cartoon character in the police hat.
On Saturday evening, local police received a tip from a member of the public, alleging that Li had sent an image "insulting the image of the police," according to The Paper.
The police launched an investigation into the chat group, which had more than 330 members, according to The Paper. After finding that Li was "dissatisfied with the community prevention measures," police summoned Li to the station, where he was questioned and eventually "confessed to the illegal fact of insulting the police."
Unsplash
Police said his actions had constituted the offence of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble," and gave him nine days' detention as punishment.
What do you think about this harsh punishment? Have we completely lost our freedom of speech?
Building, coordinating and crafting engaging content for lifestyle brand 'Evolve' at Indiatimes. Successfully revamping the lifestyle section including topics such as mental health, relationships, self, skin care, music etc. I collaborate with experts from various fields to gather insights and create well-structured pieces.
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