January 24, farmers from Ganhe Farm in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, gathered at the Moqi Public Security Bureau to protest the police detention of rights defenders. After the land they had reclaimed was taken over by the farm and land rents were raised, farmers from Ganhe Farm launched a rights-defense action earlier this January.
January 21, at the Lujia Courtyard resettlement site in Zhenxiong County, Zhaotong, Yunnan, a conflict broke out after urban management officers forcibly dismantled street stalls, resulting in a female vendor being knocked to the ground and injured.
On the evening of January 25, at the rights-defense scene involving Jie Wo Rui Jewelry in Shuibei, Shenzhen, Guangdong, one protester was beaten by several officers. Jie Wo Rui Jewelry has recently collapsed, and it is reported to have taken off with tens of billions of yuan.
January 24 — Dajiang Middle School in Pingnan County, Guigang, Guangxi, canceled the weekend break and required students to remain on campus for study, triggering a collective protest by students. Videos show large numbers of students gathering at the school gate to protest and eventually breaking through security barriers and leaving the campus.
“Villagers in Weixin, Yunnan Repel Government Personnel Carrying Out Forced Demolition with Bricks and Stones (2026.01.20)”
On January 20, 2026, a demolition-related clash occurred in Zhaoxi Town, Weixin County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province. Faced with an aggressive forced-demolition team, local villagers resisted by throwing bricks and stones, successfully driving the demolition personnel away.
The incident arose after several residential houses in the Huangjinao villagers’ group of Tianba Community, Zhaoxi Town, were suddenly designated by the local government as “illegal buildings.” In a “Notice of Illegal Construction” posted on the exterior walls of the houses, the Zhaoxi Town government claimed that the properties had been “constructed on cultivated land without authorization” and ordered homeowners to “demolish them voluntarily” within three days, warning that otherwise the government would “demolish them in accordance with the law.”
Villagers strongly rejected this claim. They pointed out that the houses labeled as “illegal” had been built and occupied for more than twenty years and were their only homes. In the villagers’ view, the sudden designation of their homes as “illegal constructions” was not driven by land-management needs, but by the local government’s plan to promote a real estate project in the area known as “Hot Spring Town.” After villagers refused to relocate under a low compensation standard, the Zhaoxi Town government allegedly began applying pressure by citing “illegal construction.”
Beginning on January 13, villagers started gathering around their homes day and night to resist the forced demolition. Videos filmed by villagers show that on the day of the attempted demolition, dozens of government personnel—including a town Party secretary—arrived at the site carrying tools such as hammers and crowbars, appearing aggressive. In front of a building displaying a banner reading “Private residence. Unauthorized entry prohibited. Consequences at your own risk,” officials began forcing the door open. At that point, villagers on the rooftop started throwing bricks and stones downward. Confronted with the barrage, the government personnel quickly retreated. They later attempted to approach the building again but were unsuccessful due to the continued throwing of bricks and stones from the rooftop.
As of January 24, villagers remain on watch around their homes. While the local government has not taken further action, it has also not publicly stated whether it will abandon the forced demolition. Both sides are currently locked in a standoff.
“Chongqing Homeowners’ Rights Defense Suppressed, Multiple People Detained (2026.01.21)”
On January 21, homeowners at the AVIC MYtown residential complex in Chongqing’s Liangjiang New Area were suppressed by police while protesting the property management’s forced collection of parking fees. Multiple people were taken away by the police.
In Qing’an County, Suihua City, Heilongjiang Province, Donghe Agricultural Group has withheld 19 million yuan in grain payments for four years. Farmers’ repeated attempts to seek redress have been unsuccessful. Not only has the local government remained inactive for an extended period, but on January 20, it also detained four farmers who went to government offices to protest.
January 21 — About 700 workers at the Shiyan branch of Shenzhen Maike Brothers Technology Co., Ltd. went on strike collectively, protesting that the company secretly relocated the factory in order to evade compensation.
Documentary: Thousands of “Digital Moms” Rally to Support “Xiao Luoxi”
“Most netizens came from provinces and cities outside of Ningbo, with some even traveling from Xinjiang, over 4,000 kilometers away.”
“With the exception of personnel arranged by the court itself, no one was permitted to enter the courtroom to observe the proceedings.”
“Many netizens who could not be there in person sent supplies such as milk tea and mineral water to those on-site via food delivery apps.”
“One young female delivery worker even purchased heat packs for the netizens at her own expense.”
“Network signals were suspected to have been jammed by the authorities, preventing them from sending out real-time updates. Additionally, multiple netizens reported that their livestreams were blocked and their accounts banned.”
“Dozens of ‘unidentified individuals’ appeared at the scene. Organized by ringleaders, they held national flags and shouted slogans; some even mistakenly shouted ‘Go elementary school students’ instead of ‘Go Xiao Luoxi.’ After being rejected when attempting to distribute flags to the netizens, these individuals briefly clashed with the crowd.”
“Their performance was called out on the spot by a brave woman who asked: ‘Who paid for these flags? Do you think people can’t see you’re acting? What kind of patriotic charade are you staging here?'”
“At noon, the trial concluded. The ride-hailing vehicle carrying Xiao Luoxi’s mother appeared inside the court compound. The crowd instantly erupted, shouting slogans such as ‘Stay strong!’, ‘Go Deng Rongrong!’, and ‘Long live the Chinese people!’ Suddenly, the vehicle stopped. Xiao Luoxi’s mother and grandmother stepped out, bowing and kneeling to thank the netizens. Witnessing this scene, the netizens on-site were moved to tears.”
“On that day, none of the ‘Big Vs’ (verified influencers), internet celebrities, or stars that netizens had expected showed up. The scene was filled entirely with the most ordinary ‘digital moms’ and ‘digital dads’ from across China. As one netizen stated: ‘Only ordinary people help ordinary people.’ Another netizen commented on social media: ‘If Xiao Luoxi loses, that will be the best advertisement for sterilization. Because we ordinary people cannot protect our own children.'”
January 19: Hundreds of workers at the Jialaimeng shoe factory in Jinjiang, Fujian went on a collective strike to protest repeated cuts in piece-rate wages. The reductions have forced workers to work more than ten hours a day, yet their monthly pay is only around 3,000 yuan.