Peng Lifa
彭立发
Born1974 (age 49–50)
Heilongjiang, China
Occupation(s)Physicist, philosophy enthusiast, activist
Known forBeijing Sitong Bridge protest
Children1

Peng Lifa (Chinese: 彭立发; pinyin: Péng Lìfā; born 1974) is a Chinese physicist, electromagnetism researcher, philosophy enthusiast, and democracy activist who initiated the Beijing Sitong Bridge protest in October 2022. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.[1]

Career and activism

Based on two Twitter accounts suspected of being Peng's, he is a physicist and philosophy enthusiast.[2][3] He worked for the acrylic products firm, Beijing Melon Network Technology Co., Ltd.[3] He published research on electromagnetism.[3]

On October 13, 2022, Peng initiated the Beijing Sitong Bridge protest by posting a banner on the Sitong Bridge.[2] Peng Lifa draped protest banners from Beijing's Sitong Bridge. They unfurled to reveal exhortations against China's zero-COVID policy, calling it a violation of freedom of expression and demanding real elections and political reform.

One banner criticized Xi Jinping as a "national traitor" and another said "We want food, not PCR tests. We want freedom, not lockdowns. We want respect, not lies. We want reform, not a Cultural Revolution. We want a vote, not a leader. We want to be citizens, not slaves."

Peng Lifa further challenged Xi on Oct. 13, 2022, by shouting through a loudspeaker, "We want to eat. We want freedom. We want votes!". He is suspected to have been detained by the police.[3] His slogans spread across the country with comparisons being made between Peng and the Tank Man.[2] His act was described by BBC News as "one of the most significant acts of Chinese protest seen under Mr Xi's rule".[4]

Though the New York Times published an article on 2022/12/07 naming him "Peng Lifa," the protester's identity has not been confirmed.[4] However, some believe him to be an academic physicist and have flooded a Twitter account assumed to be linked to the protester with messages of admiration.[4] The Wall Street Journal and Radio Free Asia reported that some activists believed the protester to be Peng Lifa, also known as Peng Zaizhou, a 48-year-old physics enthusiast.[5][6]

In April 2023, Peng was named to the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world for his pro-democracy activism.[7][8]

Personal life

Peng was born in 1974 in Heilongjiang.[2][3] He has a daughter.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Time 100". Time. April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Yuan, Li (2022-12-07). "China's Protest Prophet". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Peng Lifa (彭立发)". Chinese Human Rights Defenders. December 29, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  4. 1 2 3 "China congress: How one man on a bridge marred Xi Jinping's big moment". BBC News. October 21, 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
  5. ↑ Fan, Wenxin; Lu, Shen (October 22, 2022). "Beijing Protester's Battle Cry Sends Ripples Worldwide". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Chinese police pressure family of U.S.-based student over support for "Bridge Man"". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  7. ↑ Weiwei, Ai (2023-04-13). "Peng Lifa: The 100 Most Influential People of 2023". Time. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  8. ↑ Hu, Yuli (April 14, 2023). "時代雜誌百大影響力人物 關繼威、周受資等5華人上榜" [Time magazine's top 100 influential figures Guan Jiwei, Zhou Shouzi and other 5 Chinese are on the list]. 聯合新聞網 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2023-04-15.
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