How Twitter’s “Teacher Li” became the central hub of China protest information

As protests against rigid covid power measures successful China engulfed societal media successful the past week, 1 Twitter relationship has emerged arsenic the cardinal root of information: @李老师不是你老师 (“Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher”). People everyplace successful China person sent protestation footage and real-time updates to the relationship done backstage messages, and it has posted them connected their behalf—taking attraction to support the sources anonymous during a play of wide fearfulness and uncertainty.

There’s conscionable 1 antheral down the account: Li, a Chinese creator based successful Italy, who requested to beryllium identified lone by his past sanction successful airy of the information risks. He has ne'er received grooming successful journalism, but that hasn’t stopped him from operating what’s fundamentally go a one-person newsroom. 

His posts would get removed by Chinese censors, and by February, his relationship was banned. Over the adjacent 2 months, different 49 of his accounts were suspended. But his followers generously allowed him to get their telephone numbers to support registering for more. In April 2022, aft helium could nary longer entree caller Weibo accounts, helium yet moved to Twitter. There, helium rapidly grew a ample pursuing of planetary accounts and Chinese radical accessing the blocked societal media level via VPN. 

Then, past week, workers successful a Foxconn mill successful Zhengzhou started a convulsive confrontation with management, and Li started monitoring the concern done Chinese societal media and follower submissions. He slept lone 3 hours that night.

More protests past broke retired implicit the play successful large Chinese cities, and Li erstwhile again posted real-time protestation footage—aiming to assistance radical wrong China get accusation truthful they could determine if they wanted to articulation in, and besides to pass radical extracurricular China astir what was truly going on. “Even though they’re not successful China close this second, things are happening, and they’re watching,” Li told me. 

His Twitter relationship is present the hub for accusation connected the protests, having gained implicit 600,000 followers successful the past tumultuous week alone. 

The demanding work, though, has taken a toll. Within China, mentions of his relationship sanction person been censored connected societal media platforms, including Weibo and WeChat. He is getting decease threats and insults successful DMs. And constabulary person visited his household backmost successful China. 

But the anxiousness has been mixed with a feeling of liberation arsenic helium feels he’s yet capable to accidental the sanction of Xi Jinping connected societal media without fear. Li joked that his Twitter avatar, which is simply a doodle of a cat, has go the astir celebrated and astir unsafe feline of his time. 

Over a agelong speech aboriginal this week, Li told maine astir what it’s similar to beryllium nether specified immense unit and however challenging it tin beryllium to stay objective. Though this enactment has occupied astir each waking minute, helium told me, helium yet forced himself to commencement taking breaks connected Monday—which led to a astonishment brushwood that warmed his heart. 

Here’s Li’s story, told successful his ain words. The pursuing transcript has been translated, lightly edited, and rearranged for clarity. —Zeyi Yang

On lending his dependable to radical who are afraid 

This relationship is, successful essence, the aforesaid arsenic galore different mean Twitter users’. I speech astir my life, immoderate topics related to my profession, and, of course, societal issues.

But this relationship besides carries different purpose. I don’t cognize erstwhile it started, but gradually I began receiving submissions. People would interaction maine done backstage messages, nonstop maine what’s happening, oregon their ain stories, and anticipation I could station that for them. 

I deliberation this whitethorn beryllium a improvement that emerged from the progressively beardown net and code controls connected Chinese integer platforms since Xi Jinping came to power. People are acrophobic to accidental things straight connected the internet, adjacent if their accounts are anonymous. But they inactive person the tendency for expression, truthful they privation idiosyncratic other to accidental it for them. 

It was the aforesaid connected Weibo. Last year, astatine a clip erstwhile I lone had little than 10,000 followers, radical dilatory realized that this idiosyncratic could talk [for them], truthful they came to me. Then, erstwhile quality broke [in February] astir the parent who gave commencement to 8 children [Editor’s note: She was a trafficking unfortunate who was recovered chained successful a shed], I helped idiosyncratic people a submission astir however helium wanted to find his sister. That was reposted implicit 30,000 times connected Weibo, and past my relationship was banned. 

In the months aft my relationship was gone, I kept registering caller accounts, and they kept getting banned. In astir 2 months, I had 50 accounts suspended. The fastest grounds was erstwhile it took 10 minutes for an relationship to vanish [after registration]. As soon arsenic [censors] blew up my account, I would instantly commencement a caller one.

My followers—I don’t cognize why—were capable to instantly find me, truthful I would summation thousands of followers successful an instant. It ended erstwhile [the regulators] seemed to find the website wherever I bought those Weibo accounts and suspended that website, aft which I couldn’t entree immoderate much accounts.

I was truly moved during that period. Weibo verifies your individuality done your telephone number. But a batch of online friends conscionable lent maine their telephone numbers and said: “It’s okay, Teacher Li, you tin usage my fig for verification. That’s fine.” That truly touched me. But aboriginal I couldn’t get a caller account, truthful I had to determination to Twitter. 

My [Twitter] relationship was registered successful 2020, but I really started utilizing it successful April [2022]. From the precise beginning, I person ever been sent the latest news. I don’t cognize why, but there’s ever idiosyncratic connected the crushed who tin nonstop thing to maine immediately, including astir the incidental successful Shanghai wherever radical held up a achromatic banner [in October]. Slowly, the fig of followers grew.

Before I reported connected the Foxconn incident, I had astir 140,000 followers, and past it got to 190,000 erstwhile I finished reporting connected Foxconn. I mislaid number of however galore followers I person now. [Editor’s note: By the clip of our interview, Li had implicit 670,000 followers connected Twitter; by the clip of publishing, the fig had accrued to implicit 784,000.] 

On becoming a one-man newsroom (on lone a fewer hours of sleep)

These days I slumber for astir 5 hours, and I’m focusing connected [Twitter] for the remainder of the day. There’s nary 1 else. Even my woman is not involved—just me.

In fact, the time I was online for the longest clip was not successful the past fewer days; it was during the Foxconn [protest]. Because the concern was processing truthful quickly, if they didn’t stop, I couldn’t stop. It didn’t transverse my caput that since this had thing to bash with me, I could spell to sleep. I ne'er had that thought.

The fire successful Urumqi [which sparked the broader question of protests] has really triggered a batch of empathy from the public. The anticipation of a occurrence is truly a interest for everyone, due to the fact that each of them person astatine 1 constituent been locked successful their location and not allowed to spell out. 

In each akin quality lawsuit successful the past, nary substance whether the authorities was responsible, it would ever censor the news. After having their mouths sealed again and again, radical became furious. There is ever going to beryllium a past straw, nary substance what it ends up being. If it didn’t hap today, it would hap tomorrow, oregon the time aft tomorrow. 

I thought [the protestation in] Xinjiang connected the nighttime of the 26th was a infinitesimal to beryllium remembered successful history, but it turned retired that was conscionable the opening of the story.

Particularly erstwhile protesters chanted the slogans that originated from the Sitong Bridge protest, I was like, “Oh no, it’s going to beryllium a very, precise superior happening if radical are shouting these slogans successful the halfway of Shanghai.” I had to papers it successful a neutral and nonsubjective manner, due to the fact that if not, it could soon beryllium forgotten, adjacent connected Twitter. I thought, “I request to instrumentality up the baton immediately,” and past I started doing it without reasoning excessively much. 

It’s hard to picture the feeling that came after. It’s similar everyone is coming to you and each kinds of accusation from each implicit the satellite is converging toward you and [people are] telling you: Hey, what’s happening here; hey, what’s happening there; do you know, this is what’s happening successful Guangzhou; I’m successful Wuhan, Wuhan is doing this; I’m successful Beijing, and I’m pursuing the large radical and walking together. Suddenly each the real-time accusation is being submitted to me, and I don’t cognize however to picture that feeling. But determination was besides nary clip to deliberation astir it. 

My bosom was beating precise fast, and my hands and my encephalon were perpetually switching betwixt respective bundle programs—because you know, you can’t prevention a video with Twitter’s web version. So I was perpetually switching software, editing the video, exporting it, and past posting it connected Twitter. [Editor’s note: Li adds subtitles, blocks retired relationship information, and compiles shorter videos into one.] By the end, determination was nary clip to edit the videos anymore. If idiosyncratic changeable and sent implicit a 12-second WeChat video, I would conscionable usage it arsenic is. That’s it. 

I got the largest magnitude of [private messages] astir 6:00 p.m. connected Sunday night. At that time, determination were galore radical connected the thoroughfare successful 5 large cities successful China: Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Wuhan, and Guangzhou. So I fundamentally was receiving a twelve backstage messages each second. In the end, I couldn't adjacent surface the accusation anymore. I saw it, I clicked connected it, and if it was worthy posting, I posted it.

People each implicit the state are telling maine astir their real-time situations. In bid for much radical not to beryllium successful danger, they went to the [protest] sites themselves and sent maine what was going connected there. Like, immoderate followers were riding bikes adjacent the statesmanlike palace successful Nanjing, taking pictures, and telling maine astir the concern successful the city. And past they asked maine to pass everyone to beryllium cautious. I deliberation that’s a truly moving thing.

It’s similar I person gradually go an anchor sitting successful a TV studio, getting endless accusation from reporters connected the country each implicit the country. For example, connected Monday successful Hangzhou, determination were 5 oregon six radical updating maine connected the latest quality simultaneously. But determination was a interruption due to the fact that each of them were fleeing erstwhile the constabulary cleared the venue. 

On the value of staying objective 

There are a batch of tweets that embellish the truth. From their constituent of view, they deliberation it’s the close happening to do. They deliberation you person to maximize the outrage truthful that determination tin beryllium a revolt. But for me, I deliberation we request reliable information. We request to cognize what’s truly going on, and that’s the astir important thing. If we were doing it for the emotion, past successful the extremity I truly would person been portion of the “foreign influence,” right? 

But if determination is simply a quality relationship extracurricular China that tin grounds what’s happening objectively, successful existent time, and accurately, past radical wrong the Great Firewall won’t person doubts anymore. At this moment, successful this rather utmost concern of a continuous quality blackout, to beryllium capable to person an relationship that tin support posting quality from each implicit the state astatine a velocity of astir 1 tweet each fewer seconds is really a morale boost for everyone. 

Chinese radical turn up with patriotism, truthful they go shy oregon don’t situation to accidental thing straight oregon reason thing directly. That’s wherefore the assemblage was singing the nationalist anthem and waving the reddish flag, the nationalist emblem [during protests]. You person to recognize that the Chinese radical are patriotic. Even erstwhile they are demanding things [from the government], they bash it with that sentiment. 

So 1 crushed they are consenting to walk connected accusation to maine is that they cognize that I americium reporting it successful a neutral, objective, and truthful way. But for different accounts, they are acrophobic of messaging them due to the fact that what if it’s true—as they are told successful China—that they are being taken vantage of by overseas forces? 

You tin recognize it similar this: they privation to dependable their opposition, but they besides don’t privation it to beryllium excessively radical. They privation to enactment successful the middle. So I’m really that mediate point. I volition study connected what happens, but I volition lone study connected what happens and not accidental a connection more. That’s astir apt wherefore I’ve go the cardinal hub. Of course, I’ve go the cardinal hub besides due to the fact that I’ve kept posting and posting.

So I effort to lone study connected immoderate accusation I receive, but it’s hard to bash that now, due to the fact that determination are truthful galore submissions. And to fact-check 1 thing, I whitethorn request videos from respective antithetic angles. 

For example, past nighttime determination were rumors of a shooting successful Wuhan, a shooting successful Chengdu, and a shooting successful Xi’an, but I didn’t find immoderate videos that I could usage to verify them, truthful I didn’t extremity up posting anything. Well, that resulted successful immoderate Twitter users reasoning I mightiness beryllium deliberately covering up immoderate faults by the police.

And present there's a somewhat awkward concern wherever immoderate radical successful China deliberation I’m inciting these things and immoderate radical overseas deliberation I’m a large China propagandist. That’s a precise hard spot to beryllium in. When you take to basal successful the middle, you are decidedly nether unit from some sides, but that’s okay.

On dealing with integer chaos and deception

Since I fundamentally had nary clip to deliberation and was conscionable posting each fewer seconds, the provender became precise dense and precise chaotic. Some radical sent maine the aforesaid videos repetitively. There were besides galore videos that originated from me, and past dispersed to different platforms similar WeChat Moments, and were aboriginal sent backmost to me. Maybe this station was astir Beijing, the adjacent was Guangzhou, and the adjacent 1 was Shanghai. There was nary mode for radical to cognize astatine erstwhile whether the video successful their hands had been sent oregon not, truthful they had to resend it to me. Maybe the video was taken astatine 9:00, but they sent it to maine astatine astir 12:00 and thought it was successful existent time.

The fake video I got the astir Sunday nighttime was astir apt 1 wherever a constabulary car was driving nether an overpass and moving implicit people. I indispensable person watched it 60 oregon 70 times. Every time, it says that it was the Sitong Bridge oregon something. But that footage was really not taken successful China. Many radical are consenting to judge these videos, oregon they conscionable privation to judge that thing large has happened.

One large situation I experienced Monday greeting was that—I don’t cognize who it was and whether it was idiosyncratic [on the Chinese government’s side], but they kept sending maine mendacious news. There were immoderate messages astir things that happened, but not astatine the places they claimed. Then determination were immoderate messages that you could archer were fake immediately. Maybe they were hoping to instrumentality maine down successful this way. 

But I deliberation successful the end, I volition inevitably beryllium the 1 to blame. Even if I don’t bash it, radical volition presume I’m guilty. 

If I tin support my independency till the end, past I tin beryllium a candle, a torch, conscionable lasting determination connected my own.

On the intelligence toll the enactment is taking

​​I conscionable finished postgraduate school, truthful technically I’m a caller graduate, and I was conscionable dragged into this happening retired of obscurity and abruptly recovered myself with a relation successful it. I don’t cognize however to feel. I’m conscionable anxious. I don’t cognize what volition hap to me. Of course, I’m acrophobic that 1 time a car is going to tally toward maine erstwhile I’m crossing the roadworthy and fake a postulation mishap oregon something. But I lone interest astir it erstwhile I crook disconnected the computer. When I’m sitting successful beforehand of it, I don’t person clip to deliberation astir myself.

It’s mostly conscionable exhausting. I forced myself to instrumentality a interruption today. Usually, I conscionable beryllium there, start, and support going until the end, and I hardly ever get up.

But contiguous I started to get immoderate threats, and I became much stressed. You person to beryllium acrophobic due to the fact that you person seen truthful overmuch and cognize truthful much. So today, I’m forcing myself to instrumentality a vacation. It’s not overmuch of a vacation, I guess, but I spent a agelong clip conscionable walking.

Today has besides been rather amazing. 

I got this decease menace past night, but I don’t cognize wherever it’s from. It conscionable said, “We already cognize wherever you live. You conscionable wait.” I didn’t person clip to instrumentality a screenshot then, due to the fact that that connection was rapidly pushed down by different messages. I took 1 look and it was gone, immediately. But since then, it has been dense connected my mind.

Then this greeting erstwhile I went retired to bargain feline food, I stood successful beforehand of the peephole and checked repeatedly whether idiosyncratic was lasting outside. On the way, I kept checking if idiosyncratic was tailing me. And aft I returned home, determination was immoderate weird question successful the stairs, truthful I enactment down everything by the doorway and stood successful beforehand of the peephole for 10 minutes, but ne'er saw anyone. 

Then I thought to myself, I can’t bash this forever—I person to marque the idiosyncratic leave. I was reasoning I would commencement livestreaming, find them, and past inquire them to leave. But it turned retired that determination was nary one. It was a tiny, tiny, tiny kitten. I don’t cognize wherefore it was hiding there, but I took it home. And present my woman is feeding it. This is the astonishing happening that happened today. I’m considering naming it Urumqi.

I forgot whether it started erstwhile Xi Jinping came to powerfulness [in 2013], but I’ve been feeling rather aggrieved. All these years, I’ve been constantly, repeatedly censoring myself and staying cautious conscionable truthful I tin support talking.

But conscionable yesterday, suddenly, I’m not acrophobic anymore. I had nary clip to deliberation astir it, and I conscionable kept posting. The elemental mentation of what happened is: When they shouted retired “Xi Jinping, measurement down,” I abruptly felt it didn’t substance anymore. I tin study this thing. I tin benignant these words. If they aren’t acrophobic to accidental it, past I’m besides not acrophobic to benignant it. That’s it.

You cognize what these 3 characters mean erstwhile they are typed out. It’s wholly antithetic [from different words]. At that moment, I abruptly felt similar I’m dead, I’m alive, I’m liberated, and I’m aggrieved, each astatine the aforesaid time. It was a very, precise analyzable feeling.