Older adults in the central Chinese megacity of Wuhan gathered last week for their second large-scale protest in a week against the Chinese communist regime’s cuts to health benefits in its recent medical insurance reform, while, at the same time, a similar protest was staged in the northeastern megacity of Dalian.
While the protesters are seeking international attention and support for their efforts, suppression by the regime in Wuhan on Feb. 15 led to the citizens being beaten, arrested, and dispersed.
A resident of Wuhan named Dafei (pseudonym) told The Epoch Times on Feb. 16 that the situation in the city is terrifying.
“Several friends who went to the protest were all interviewed and threatened by the police today. Now, there’s terror in the country everywhere. It is really scary,” he said.
An Ming (pseudonym), an older citizen of Wuhan who was at the protest, told The Epoch Times on Feb. 16 about how the Chinese regime dispersed protesters.
“Yesterday, at around two o’clock in the afternoon, the police began to clear the scene. There were a lot of riot police and policemen in groups separating the elderly protesters. There were also people sent by the authorities there, persuading the elderly and leading them to a building behind Zhongshan Park [the protest site] and telling the elderly people to go inside. There were some officials standing outside the building,” he said.
Some elderly people were taken away when they went in, but An Ming didn’t enter.
“At about 3 p.m., Jiefang Avenue was cleared of protesters,” he said.
On the day of the protest, many people who wanted to participate were unable to go. Yang Wei (pseudonym), a retiree in Wuhan, told The Epoch Times on Feb. 16 that he was forced by police to stay home.
“Yesterday morning, I received at least five or six calls from local police and the community office, asking if I was at home, and wanted to bring me something. They just want to know if I was at home or at the scene of the protest. It was to keep us under control,” he said.
“In mainland China, there are cameras and mobile phone positioning everywhere. We are all under strict control. Wherever we go, mobile phone positioning will locate us.”
Yang said that there were at least 50,000 people gathered in the most central area of Wuhan.
Police Rough Up Elderly Protesters
Ms. Liang (pseudonym), another Wuhan resident, told The Epoch Times on Feb. 16 that tens of thousands of people stood up to protest against the tyranny of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). She said it was the first time in more than 70 years that she had seen the Chinese people so awakened and united.
Liang said she saw policemen beating protesters.
“Most of the policemen did not wear their police numbers, and many were riot police, fully armed, but without guns,” she said. “They didn’t dare to beat the elderly up in public. If they beat the elderly to death, it would be harder for them to deal with. But they roughed the elderly up and caused some elderly to pass out. I saw with my own eyes three elderly people fainted and fell on the ground—one woman and two men. They were dragged away by the police.”
She said that although she got COVID-19 and was hospitalized twice, the CCP’s new health insurance won’t pay for it. The individual benefit allowances for medical care have been reduced, which affects retired people the most.
“We have experienced the COVID epidemic for three years, and we can’t bear it anymore. … This new medical insurance policy is a daylight robbery of people,” she said.
Chinese People Are Awakening
Liang added that the CCP has completely lost the support of the people, and the protest against the health insurance cuts will awaken more ordinary people and young people across the country, which might lead to the collapse of the communist regime.
“I hope that the international community will not underestimate the awareness of ordinary Chinese people. Although some people are not yet awakened, a large part of the Chinese people are standing up, they have backbone, and their understanding is also quite advanced,” she said.
“They are a very powerful force.”
Yang expects that there will be another protest soon.
“The video of the protests at Zhongshan Park is spreading on the internet and will definitely influence other cities. It will definitely have a considerable impact. The medical insurance reform in other cities will meet with resistance as well,” he said.
“This matter [protest to defend their rights] will definitely not stop, because there are many people like us who have seen through the CCP, are awakened, and love democracy and freedom. These people will try to continue it and won’t be suppressed. But it’s very difficult in communist China.”
He hopes to get attention and help from international media.
“The CCP’s suppression of rights protection and the truth is too severe,” he told The Epoch Times. “We can only rely on foreign media. I hope that overseas media can help us to pass on our voice and appeals to the international community, so that the international community would pay attention and care about the real situation in mainland China.”
https://www.theepochtimes.com/chinas-elderly-protest-against-health-insurance-cuts-suppressed-by-police_5068061.html
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