On February 23, workers at the South Korean-owned Yura Electronics Factory No. 2 in Heze, Shandong, staged a collective strike on the first day back from the Spring Festival holiday due to unreasonable make-up shift arrangements. According to workers, the strike ended that afternoon after ‘both the factory management and the workers took a step back.
Beijing Petitioners: Current Leadership is “Blind and Deaf,” Ruining the Country (2026.02.23)
On February 23 (the 7th day of the Lunar New Year), a massive crowd of petitioners gathered outside the National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration, queuing overnight to register their grievances the following day. During the gathering, several veteran petitioners arrived specifically to address the crowd. They declared that “this generation of leaders is both blind and deaf; they have ruined this country and destroyed the youth of so many.” They further warned those waiting in line that “queuing is useless,” urging them instead to learn from “student and worker strikes,” to “demand human rights,” and to “find a different way to live.” Meanwhile, another veteran petitioner expressed hope that Xi Jinping would “show some mercy and come to the National Petition Bureau to take a look for himself.”
On the third day of the Lunar New Year (February 19), in Jixian Town, Zhouzhi County, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, villagers confronted police for three hours after a traditional shehuo folk performance was banned. In the end, they were allowed to hold the event.
During the standoff, one villager shouted through a loudspeaker at the police: “Taking that little bit of money from the people—don’t you feel ashamed?”
From Lunar New Year’s Eve to the first day of the Lunar New Year (February 16–17), in just one place — Gaoyou in Yangzhou, Jiangsu — workers from three garment factories were still demanding their unpaid wages. The factories are Shunbang Garments, Tianyu Garments, and Mimi Garments.
On February 13, dozens of displaced residents blocked the road in front of the Qianxi County government in Tangshan, Hebei Province, demanding that the Chinese Communist Party pay the overdue demolition compensation.
February 12, Weihai, Shandong — Wuhu Shipyard not only failed to pay wages for three months, but also called in police to forcibly disperse workers demanding their pay, with several people taken away.
February 11–12: Sanitation workers in Lanjia Town, Kuancheng District, Changchun, Jilin Province went on strike for two consecutive days due to long-term wage arrears.
February 11, at BYD Jixian in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province: after a worker died by jumping from a building, the worker’s family members seeking an explanation were blocked outside the factory for the sixth consecutive day by a human barricade formed by BYD staff.
Lingao, Hainan: Joy Over a Corrupt Official’s Fall Fades as Villagers Face Violent Crackdown Again (2026.02.01)
On February 1, 2026, a fierce confrontation between police and civilians erupted in Daya Village, Lingao County, Hainan Province. Just as villagers were still celebrating the downfall of a local official, a new round of violence left multiple residents injured and hospitalized.
According to villagers, long-standing grievances over forced demolitions, corruption, and unfair local elections prompted residents to gather at the Daya Village committee office that day to defend their rights. They blocked a government vehicle and demanded answers. Authorities quickly dispatched large numbers of police officers, special police, and government personnel to the scene, triggering an immediate clash.
During the confrontation, police and government staff not only sprayed villagers with pepper spray but also beat demonstrators with batons. Amid the chaos, villagers were forced to pick up dirt and bricks to fend off the attacks. Video footage shows the aftermath: the site left in disarray, with several villagers lying on the ground. Those seriously injured were rushed to hospital for emergency treatment.
For residents of Daya Village, such scenes are far from rare. Over the past several years, the Lingao local government has aggressively pushed land seizures and demolitions under the banner of “development and construction,” repeatedly clashing with villagers while competing for their land and interests. As recently as November 2025, a temple in neighboring Meiya Village was forcibly demolished, sparking widespread public outrage.
The irony is stark. More than ten days before the February 1 clash, villagers were still immersed in celebration. From January 17 to 19, 2026, after the former Lingao county party secretary was detained on suspicion of serious corruption, long-oppressed residents set off firecrackers and staged marches outside the village committee office for several consecutive days. They celebrated the fall of what they saw as a former “chief culprit,” believing that justice had finally arrived. Yet less than half a month later, the machinery of the state struck again. This blow injured not only the villagers’ bodies, but also shattered what little hope they had left in the rule of law and justice. What oppresses them, it seems, has never been just a single official, but the system itself.
February 3 — Hundreds of substitute kindergarten teachers gathered at the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, chanting slogans and calling on the Communist Party to address the issue of lacking support in old age.