It’s arduous to explain the sensation that got here after. It’s like everyone seems to be coming to you and all types of knowledge from all around the world is converging towards you and [people are] telling you: Hey, what’s occurring right here; hey, what’s occurring there; have you learnt, that is what’s occurring in Guangzhou; I’m in Wuhan, Wuhan is doing this; I’m in Beijing, and I’m following the massive group and strolling collectively. Abruptly all of the real-time data is being submitted to me, and I don’t know how you can describe that feeling. However there was additionally no time to consider it.
My coronary heart was beating very quick, and my palms and my mind had been consistently switching between a number of software program applications—as a result of you understand, you possibly can’t save a video with Twitter’s net model. So I used to be consistently switching software program, modifying the video, exporting it, after which posting it on Twitter. [Editor’s note: Li adds subtitles, blocks out account information, and compiles shorter videos into one.] By the top, there was no time to edit the movies anymore. If somebody shot and despatched over a 12-second WeChat video, I’d simply use it as is. That’s it.
I received the biggest quantity of [private messages] round 6:00 p.m. on Sunday night time. At the moment, there have been many individuals on the road in 5 main cities in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Wuhan, and Guangzhou. So I principally was receiving a dozen personal messages each second. Ultimately, I could not even display screen the knowledge anymore. I noticed it, I clicked on it, and if it was price posting, I posted it.
Folks all around the nation are telling me about their real-time conditions. To ensure that extra folks to not be in peril, they went to the [protest] websites themselves and despatched me what was occurring there. Like, some followers had been driving bikes close to the presidential palace in Nanjing, taking photos, and telling me concerning the state of affairs within the metropolis. After which they requested me to tell everybody to be cautious. I believe that’s a very transferring factor.
It’s like I’ve progressively develop into an anchor sitting in a TV studio, getting limitless data from reporters on the scene all around the nation. For instance, on Monday in Hangzhou, there have been 5 – 6 folks updating me on the most recent information concurrently. However there was a break as a result of all of them had been fleeing when the police cleared the venue.
On the significance of staying goal
There are lots of tweets that embellish the reality. From their standpoint, they assume it’s the fitting factor to do. They assume you must maximize the outrage in order that there generally is a revolt. However for me, I believe we’d like dependable data. We have to know what’s actually occurring, and that’s an important factor. If we had been doing it for the emotion, then ultimately I actually would have been a part of the “international affect,” proper?
But when there’s a information account outdoors China that may file what’s occurring objectively, in actual time, and precisely, then folks contained in the Nice Firewall received’t have doubts anymore. At this second, on this fairly excessive state of affairs of a steady information blackout, to have the ability to have an account that may preserve posting information from all around the nation at a pace of virtually one tweet each few seconds is definitely a morale increase for everybody.
Chinese language folks develop up with patriotism, so that they develop into shy or don’t dare to say one thing immediately or oppose one thing immediately. That’s why the group was singing the nationwide anthem and waving the purple flag, the nationwide flag [during protests]. You need to perceive that the Chinese language folks are patriotic. Even when they’re demanding issues [from the government], they do it with that sentiment.
