Was it protest or propaganda?
The slogans are widely displayed across China as part of a campaign launched by its supreme leader, Xi Jinping, to popularise party ideals. But they are rarely seen abroad. Their sudden appearance in Brick Lane sparked an immediate backlash–including from many Chinese. Within hours, the slogans were covered in more graffiti. The word “no” was added before the Chinese characters for “democracy” and “freedom”. Above the word “equality”, someone wrote “But some are more equal than others.
Images of the wall soon spread on Chinese social media, triggering debate. Some nationalists hailed the artists as patriots while others suggested they had conceived an indirect form of protest, knowing the slogans would be defaced. The artists themselves added to the confusion. In a printed statement on the wall, they said their work was “a silent reminder” of the lack of free speech in China. But on Instagram, one suggested the aim was “to decolonize the false freedom of the West”.
Tower Hamlets, the London council that oversees Brick Lane, said it removed the graffiti after being alerted by security-camera operators. It warned that graffiti were punishable with fines starting from £80 . The Democracy Wall protesters did not get off so lightly. Their figurehead, Wei Jingsheng, was jailed for almost 15 years.
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