A Chinese filmmaker was due to stand trial Monday over his documentary about China’s nationwide protests against Covid lockdowns in late 2022, as Beijing seeks to erase public memories of stunning scenes of dissent against its handling of the pandemic. The vaguely worded charge is commonly used by the Chinese government to silence dissent and target activists, lawyers and journalists. It carries a maximum prison term of five years for first-time offenders. Chen, who goes by the name “Plato,” was arrested by Shanghai police in January 2024 after releasing a documentary to mark the first anniversary of what became known as the “White Paper” protests. The protests marked the largest outpouring of public dissent China had seen in decades and posed an unprecedented challenge to leader Xi Jinping. The demonstrations were sparked by a deadly apartment fire in the western city of Urumqi in November 2022. Many believed pandemic lockdown…
