Lemmy.ca

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/41571894

Before fleeing China, an activist in Chongqing staged an elaborate one-man demonstration against the Communist Party that doubled as performance art.

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On the eve of China’s grand military parade, an activist in a city with 30 million people staged a protest that doubled as performance art, proof that defiance can still surface, and survive, even in one of the world’s most surveilled states.

At 10 p.m. on Friday in Chongqing, a large projection on a building lit up the night with slogans calling for the end of Communist Party rule. “Only without the Communist Party can there be a new China,” read one. Another declared: “No more lies, we want the truth. No more slavery, we want freedom.”

[...]

By the time the police arrived, Mr. Qi had already left China nine days earlier with his wife and daughters. He had turned on the projection and recorded the police’s response from a remote location in Britain.

Technology has strengthened the Chinese government’s ability to control its people. Mr. Qi illustrated how the same tools can enable resistance.

“Qi Hong outwitted the police, outmaneuvered the state machinery — and there was little they could do about it,” said Li Ying, who runs perhaps the most influential Chinese-language X account and often posts protest footage. “It was incredibly cool.”

Mr. Li called the act “a serious blow” to the authorities who had poured enormous resources into ensuring stability ahead of the parade on Wednesday. “His action showed that the C.C.P.’s control isn’t airtight. It’s not like we can’t do anything,” he said.

[...]

Mr. Qi said he had never thought of his act as art or even bravery.

“My only intention was to express myself,” he told me in his first media interview. “The party installs surveillance cameras to watch us. I thought I could use the same method to watch them.”

Many people online called him a hero and offered their thanks. Some commenters said Mr. Qi’s ingenuity in using technology had inspired them.

[...]

Mr. Qi insists he is not courageous. Soft-spoken, he said he felt compelled to share what he thinks and to urge more Chinese people to see what he called the brutality and absurdity of the Communist Party’s rule.

[...]

Mr. Qi worked as an electrician and grew more politically aware. He bristled at the propaganda in his daughters’ textbooks, the government’s stoking of nationalism and the suppression of free speech. “I was dissatisfied with the government, but I didn’t dare to speak out,” he said.

He turned to books for answers. He read “1984,” “Animal Farm” and “Brave New World.” “I was terrified that they’re still ruling us the same way,” he said.

His WeChat posts became more pointed. On the 33rd anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre in 2022, he wrote: “The pursuit of light is something every thinking human should strive for. Light of wisdom, light of civilization, light of humanity, light of democracy.” His New Year wish for 2024 was simple: “May everyone have freedom from fear.”

In May, he posted what he assumed would get his WeChat account deleted, “We want democracy, not dictatorship!” Nothing happened. But for him, the words were a turning point.

By July, with news of Mr. Xi’s planned military parade, Mr. Qi decided it was time.

He surveyed locations and chose a busy section of Chongqing’s university area. On Aug. 10, he checked into a hotel, spent 10 days practicing laser projection on a nearby high-rise and prepared the slogans he would beam into the night sky. To test, he beamed harmless phrases like “be healthy” and “be happy.” Then he and his family left China.

On Aug. 29, he switched on the projector remotely. He clipped together footage of the slogans and the police raid, shared them with influential people online like Mr. Li and watched as they spread across the internet.

The state struck back. The police detained one of his brothers and a friend, and interrogated his mother outside her home. He had told no one about his plans except his wife and daughters. The Chongqing police did not respond to my request for comment.

Mr. Qi says he’s stunned by the reactions online and is unsure of what lies ahead.

Crossposted from https://lemmy.world/post/35376391

Bought a house - previous owner moved to a town home so we kept the chickens. There is a decent amount of space on the property, and half of it is a forested hillside.

Any suggestions for a newbie? A new coop is definitely first thing on my list. And a fence around the property.

One of the chickens is an outcast and I feel bad for her, doesn't leave the coop when the others go out in the yard and doesn't eat treats from the ground just food from the feeder. The other chickens get along well it seems.

If you are like me and you're old enough to still listen to terrestrial FM radio you may be pleased to learn 88.7 CIMX-FM changed the format back to Windor's Alternative 89x after the 5 year experiment of being yet another country music station.

Steam is full of asset-flip garbage and clunky "chase-the-fad" nonsense. But in an environment where only the best of the best get any real attention, what's your secret "I can't believe I ever stumbled across this" gem?

Bonus points if it feels personal or revealing of the creator, but that's not necessary. Bonus points if its fun to play, but again not necessary. My only real requirements is that almost no one has heard of it, and the project was eventually finished. What I'm looking for is the weirdest "complete" experience you've ever found on Steam.

Edit: my bad, I see that this has been added to a previous post on the topic here. Lmk if I should remove it

https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Search?parl=42%2C43%2C44%2C45&category=All&text=Environment+protection

https://ecojustice.ca/take-action/

https://davidsuzuki.org/take-action/act-online/

https://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/act/

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/35364580

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Now that Passport: Tokyo is here, we're excited to tease the rest of what 2025 has to offer for Walkabout Mini Golf! New courses, modes and activities are all on the horizon!

Can you guess what's coming next? Sound off below with your ideas! 🤯

Source: https://x.com/WalkaboutMG/status/1962909129489383791

It's September, which means it's the month of our 5th Anniversary! 🥳

To celebrate the momentous occasion, you'll want to keep an eye on our social channels as we share several fun posts showcasing some exciting new community events, a new game mode and other thrilling content!

Source: https://x.com/WalkaboutMG/status/1962546138201858516

A news release from the Canadian Medical Association says that, as of July, medical schools in the country are no longer jointly accredited by Canadian and American bodies.

It says leaders at the CMA and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada are "relieved" and that medical schools are now assessed "solely according to Canadian standards."

The release says the U.S. government's move to make it illegal to include equity, diversity and inclusion requirements in the accreditation process at American medical schools means the AFMC and CMA have "an enhanced duty to protect EDI principles."

There has been a gradual push to separate Canadian medical school accreditation from the U.S. for years and the decision to pursue a full "decoupling" was made in 2021, the CMA says.

https://archive.is/www.thestar.com/real-estate/police-launch-investigation-into-ipro-realty-scandal/article_ebd76d34-5dec-44e2-a934-edcd85babc92.html

Environment Canada has issued air quality warnings for regions of both Prairie provinces, saying smoke is also reducing visibility in some areas.

The warning comes as wildfires in the Northwest Territories, including one not far from the hamlet of Fort Providence, forced hundreds to flee their homes.

The fire southwest of Yellowknife has so far scorched 1,020 square kilometres of land.

A copy of these internal communications shared with PressProgress shows a strike vote is officially one of the options facing workers, if the province insists on putting limits on the nurses’ benefits package — particularly targeting massages and physiotherapy — which is currently 100% covered by the province. This comes after a June Castanet report of nurses at one BC hospital saying they would be willing to go on strike over cuts to their benefits.

“For nurses with chronic pain… it would be kind of a cruel move to take that away,” said Kat, whose name has been changed upon request, to prevent potential backlash from her employer for speaking to media. “They’re going to have more nurses with injuries and pain and [taking] sick time.”

Massages and physiotherapy might sound extravagant, but for nurses they really aren't. Nurses physically exert themselves a lot helping people with reduced strength and/or mobility (so that patients can retain some mobility and independence; ie, 'use it or lose it'), and people are a lot harder to move than boxes or objects with handles. Once a nurse suffers a back injury, it could take them a year to return to regular duties, if at all. One bad lift can end a nursing career, which is costly both for the nurse and the healthcare system. (Not to mention there's already a general retention problem in nursing.)

Economy Minister Christine Fréchette says the government made its decision after the company failed to produce an acceptable plan for Quebecers.

The government has spent $510 million on the project, and has lost a $270-million investment made in Northvolt's Swedish parent company before it filed for bankruptcy in March.

Quebec hopes to recover a $240-million guaranteed loan issued to purchase the land for the plant.

The American company Lyten last month announced it hoped to purchase control of the Northvolt battery project in Quebec and said it was in discussions with the federal and provincial governments.