“Foreign Forces” Accusations Fail to Intimidate Netizens as “Bamboo Cicadas” Reach Huawei Storefronts (Aug. 5–10, 2026)
Although some pro-Huawei self-media accounts and influential online commentators claimed that “foreign forces” were behind the “Bamboo Cicada” incident, with some even linking it to a “color revolution,” netizens were undeterred. Instead, the “Bamboo Cicada” meme continued to spread. Some people even brought bamboo cicadas to the entrances of Huawei stores, while others created songs inspired by the phenomenon, continuing to mock and respond to the controversy in various ways.
“Over 1,000 Chinese Workers in Russia Surround Police Vehicle, Prevent Armed Police from Detaining Worker (2026.08.09)”
On August 9, a large-scale protest involving Chinese workers broke out at the Baltic Gas Chemical Complex project in Russia, which is being constructed by China National Chemical Engineering No. 7 Construction Co., Ltd.
According to workers at the site, the incident began after a Chinese worker, who had reportedly been unsuccessfully demanding unpaid wages for an extended period, insulted project management personnel after drinking alcohol. After project management called the police, armed local officers arrived and attempted to take the worker away.
However, the police officers and their vehicle were quickly surrounded by more than 1,000 Chinese workers, who refused to allow them to leave with the worker. Ultimately, under collective pressure from the workers at the scene, the police released him.
“Wuhan Urban Management Officers Brutally Beat Street Vendors; Authorities Delete Videos to Suppress Public Outrage (2026.08.09)”
On the evening of August 9, on a pedestrian overpass near Yellow Crane Tower in Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei Province, urban management officers became involved in a confrontation with two street vendors, a man and a woman, and then violently assaulted them.
Multiple videos from the scene show one uniformed urban management officer and two plainclothes personnel surrounding and beating the two vendors on the overpass. During the assault, one officer repeatedly struck the female vendor in the face, knocking her to the ground. He then used a pair of handcuffs to repeatedly strike the male vendor. Even after the man was no longer resisting, the officer continued the assault with a plastic water bottle and also struck the woman in the head with the bottle, knocking her down again. Several other uniformed enforcement personnel could be seen standing nearby watching and filming, but none intervened.
After bystanders uploaded the videos to social media, the footage quickly sparked widespread anger among netizens. Many users reposted the videos and called for those responsible to be severely punished. However, the videos were soon deleted in large numbers by online censors.
“Shijiazhuang’s ‘Rock Wall’ Covered Over by Local Authorities; Young People Chant ‘Shijiazhuang Is Not Romantic’ (2026.08.08)”
On August 8, a “Rock Wall” popular among young people in Suncun, Yuhua District, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, was painted over by the local government. After news spread, some young people went to the site to take commemorative photos and chanted, “Shijiazhuang is not romantic.”
According to reports, the “Rock Wall” was gradually created over the past year by a woman. It featured album covers and images of members of well-known Chinese rock bands such as Omnipotent Youth Society and Miserable Faith. As photos and videos of the wall circulated online, it gradually became a popular local check-in spot, attracting many young people to visit and take pictures.
Ironically, the Shijiazhuang government had previously promoted the idea of a “Rock City” as part of the city’s image. The Communist Youth League of Hebei had also adapted the well-known song Kill the One from Shijiazhuang by local band Omnipotent Youth Society into The Indestructible People of Shijiazhuang for city promotion.
“Employees at CCTV’s Zhuozhou Filming Base Protest Layoffs Without Compensation (2026.08.07)”
On August 7, multiple employees at China Central Television’s filming base in Zhuozhou, Hebei Province, staged a collective protest over layoffs without compensation.
According to employees, the filming base had already been largely abandoned for years. During this period, the base paid employees only about 800 yuan per month as a basic living allowance. Many said they had endured such low income for years mainly to keep their social insurance contributions active until retirement.
However, just as some employees were approaching retirement, the base suddenly announced that, beginning in August, it would stop paying their living allowances, cease making social insurance contributions, and forcibly terminate their labor contracts without providing any compensation.
Online, employees were even afraid to directly name “CCTV.” When a netizen asked which organization they worked for, one employee replied: “Sorry, I don’t dare name the organization. They’re too powerful to mess with.”
“Xi’an Residents’ Boycott of SEG Continues for Over a Month, Mall Revenue Plunges (2026.08.07)”
As of August 7, Xi’an residents’ boycott of SEG was still ongoing. Over the past month, SEG has rolled out a series of measures to attract customers, including free parking, subsidies totaling 100 million yuan, and free performances. It has also been accused of hiring people to walk around the mall to create the appearance of crowds, as well as employing large numbers of online “water army” accounts to promote the shopping center. Despite these efforts, business has continued to decline sharply.
According to people familiar with the situation, SEG’s daily revenue has fallen from more than 10 million yuan at its peak to less than 1 million yuan today. One merchant said that their store used to take in around 10,000 yuan a day, but now brings in only a few hundred yuan.
On August 5, Xinhua News and other media outlets published an official statement saying that Mr. Yan had previously been diagnosed with depression and had visited the Xi’an Mental Health Center several times. However, the statement failed to quell public anger, and the boycott of SEG has continued.
(For background on the SEG incident, please see the documentary previously published by the “Yesterday” project.)
“Under CCP Repression, ‘Electronic Employees’ Continue Speaking Up for Wangwang in More Discreet Ways (2026.08.06)”
As August began, despite a sweeping crackdown by the Chinese Communist Party, the “electronic employees” did not give up. Instead, they continued speaking up for Wangwang in more discreet ways.
On August 6, at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport in Sichuan, a woman walked through the airport carrying a shopping bag printed with images of Wangwang and his family, along with the words “Remember Wangwang.” In Bijie, Guizhou, a large public advertisement supporting Wangwang remained on display.
In addition, a milk tea beverage featuring images of cats and dogs received support from the “electronic employees.” Many purchased it, took photos and uploaded them online to show their support. Online, the “electronic employees” also continued their check-in campaign by leaving messages in comment sections, reposting content and sharing related images to keep the information circulating.
“67 Chinese Workers Walk 11 Kilometers in Algeria to Demand Unpaid Wages (2026.08.05)”
On August 5, 67 workers employed by CCCC Second Highway Engineering Bureau at Section 3 of Algeria’s 121-kilometer railway project walked 11 kilometers to the Algeria branch of China Road and Bridge Corporation to demand their unpaid wages. They called on the company to immediately pay all outstanding wages and ensure that they could safely leave the country.
“Foot Spa Owner in Jinsha, Guizhou, Flees After Withholding Wages; Workers Parody His ‘Empty Promises’ at Human Resources Bureau (2026.08.05)”
On August 5, after Su Lin, the owner of Gangjin Karaoke & Foot Spa in Jinsha County, Bijie, Guizhou, fled while owing employees wages, workers who had spent several days unsuccessfully seeking payment reenacted his behavior inside the Jinsha County Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. They mimicked his original promise that “wages would be paid on time and never delayed,” as well as the repeated empty assurances he gave after failing to pay them.
Attention: On August 4, Jiangsu-based rights activist Shen Aibin was placed under five days of administrative detention by the Liangxi Branch of the Wuxi Public Security Bureau. The stated reason was that he had previously left Wuxi.
