On the eve of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, security was heightened on the streets of Beijing. Along Chang'an Avenue, in areas such as Dongdan and Xidan, in addition to mobile police posts, armed police patrols were increased. Beijing residents reported that some overpasses were being guarded by militiamen in camouflage uniforms instead of security guards, and guard posts had been set up on the bridges. Meanwhile, petitioners from various places were taken away from Beijing, and a veteran from Shandong received a notice restricting his movement.
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The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee will be held next week at the Jingxi Hotel in Beijing. Starting this week, the number of guards outside the hotel has noticeably increased. Mr. Li, a Beijing resident, told this station that when he passed the hotel entrance, he saw military personnel on guard, police directing vehicles and prohibiting parking within a 200-meter radius. Plainclothes officers were also seen loitering nearby, frequently observing passersby. During this time, individuals suspected of being petitioners were asked to show their ID cards, which were then scanned on the spot to verify their identities.
Militia posts added to overpasses
Mr. Qin, an independent scholar in Beijing, told this station that since last week, militiamen in camouflage uniforms have been added to patrols on Beijing's overpasses, and temporary guard posts have been set up on some pedestrian overpasses: "Whether it's people walking (on tours) or people on duty, these police officers are quite busy. In Beijing, there are always two kinds of guards standing on overpasses. On the streets of Beijing now, it's all armed police on duty. On the overpasses, some of those wearing camouflage uniforms are militiamen. Now there are no security guards in Beijing, only militiamen and armed police."
Mr. Qin stated that he saw photos taken by a friend showing armed police at multiple intersections along Chang'an Avenue, even at the Xinjiekou intersection, which is far from Chang'an Avenue. He said that the recent increase in security in Beijing is related to the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and several sensitive anniversaries, including the fourth anniversary of the Sitongqiao Incident, the 107th anniversary of Zhao Ziyang's birth, and the seventh anniversary of the burial of his ashes.
The Sitongqiao Incident in Beijing occurred on October 13, 2022. At the time, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was about to convene. Dissident Peng Lifang hung a banner at Sitongqiao Bridge to protest against the strict epidemic prevention and control measures and demanded the removal of Xi Jinping. He was subsequently taken away by the police.
According to the previously announced meeting schedule, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee will be held in Beijing from October 26 to 29. October 13 marks the fourth anniversary of the Sitongqiao Incident, October 17 marks the 107th anniversary of the birth of former CPC General Secretary Zhao Ziyang, and October 18 marks the seventh anniversary of the burial of his ashes in Beijing.
In Shandong, a veteran named Mr. Liu told our station that, besides himself, others have also been subjected to varying degrees of surveillance by state security officers recently due to the "sensitive date." He was warned in advance by the local police station not to go out. He said, "Anyway, I know many people have been warned not to go anywhere. I don't even dare go to Beijing. If I go to someone's house, they (the state security officers) will come and check on everyone. Now everyone is in a very passive position. If you meet friends in Beijing, they will come and find them one by one, threatening them (the contacts)."
Interceptors from multiple regions entered Beijing and took away petitioners.
Ms. Sun, a petitioner from Hebei currently in Mentougou District, Beijing, told this station that before the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, several petitioners had been taken away by local interceptors, involving places such as Nanjing, Gansu, Jilin, and Henan.
She said, "They took away quite a few people the day before yesterday. They were forcibly intercepted by local personnel. There were people from Nanjing, Gansu, Jilin, and Henan. It's said that they're going to clear them all out. It's said that they're going to clear out all the people. But now the people intercepting petitioners from all over the country are still here. Last night, the Beijing police went to find targets and make arrests."
Ms. Sun also revealed that there had been recent clashes between petitioners and interceptors, with Beijing police intervening and taking people away. She further disclosed that a petitioner named Zhang Jixin was told he might be detained for refusing to give a statement.
Community grid workers conduct night shifts at neighborhood committees.
Reporters learned from multiple sources that ahead of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, street offices in various districts of Beijing have dispatched grid workers to residential communities to conduct visits and investigations. A community worker in Chaoyang District said that they have been on duty every night since this week until the end of the Fifth Plenary Session, with their main task being to ensure that no serious incidents occur.