Parade Crackdown
China intensified online censorship during its September 3 military parade, detaining or silencing social media users for mild criticism. According to China Digital Times, an Anhui resident who asked “What era is this still happening?” in a WeChat group was arrested within three hours and detained for ten days. Another user questioning why female soldiers wore makeup received a seven-day mute for “inciting hatred.” Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao reported that a 47-year-old Hubei man was also detained for “defamatory remarks” about the parade, while post-event search results overwhelmingly featured praise.
