Innocent(?) St. Patty's Day Celebration Cancelled in Shanghai

Recent rumblings of protest on the Internet have apparently left Chinese authorities quite shaken. Accordingly, officials have cracked down on journalists and other foreigners who they believe might engage in potentially subversive activities. Journalists who fail to abide by the new rules have been subsequently threatened with the revocation of their visas and also expulsion from the country. An annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, which was intended to take place in Shanghai on March 12, has been cancelled in light of these new regulations. According to reports, more than 2,000 people (among them foreigners) were expected to show up at the celebration. However, because the location of the event would have taken place on the same bustling corner where Internet campaigns have urged people to gather together against the government, officials took pre-emptive measures by canceling the event entirely. One diplomat spoke on the issue saying, “We’ve noticed that a somewhat larger number of our cultural and educational programs around China are being postponed or canceled, but we haven’t been notified by Chinese authorities of any specific reason.” Although protests have not taken place as of yet, reporters from The New York Times, The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse have been cited for loitering around possible protest sites. Reports of police brutality have also emerged as several journalists were physically assaulted for being suspected to have violated the rules.

Again, the latest set of actions taken by the Chinese is not the least bit surprising given the circumstances in the Middle East and the CCP’s long history of censorship. The profound effects of social media on Middle Eastern politics have put Chinese officials on high alert - and rightfully so. Inspired by the Tunisian revolt and the Jasmine Revolution, many Chinese netizens too, have begun to rail against the Chinese government for its backwardness and corruption. Perhaps the revolutionary sentiments induced by massive internet campaigns in the Middle East may very well carry over to China...