A woman has gone missing after she filmed herself defacing a poster of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The woman, Dong Yaoqiong, posted the video to her Twitter account @feefeefly on July 4, but it has since been removed. However, the video has been reposted by a supporter.
In the video, Ms Dong is seen standing in Shanghai's Lujiazui financial district, where she appears to throw black ink over a poster of President Xi Jinping.
The woman says, "I am against Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party", adding that the Chinese government carries out "oppressive brain control".
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The video was reposted on Twitter by a man called Hua Yong who says he's "worried about this lady, worried about her safety". He urges people not to "let her disappear silently", adding that people should be free to express themselves.
But it seems Ms Dong was apprehended by authorities. The Hong Kong Free Press reported that the woman posted photos of what appears to be police officers outside her residence.
"Right now there are a group of people wearing uniforms outside my door," she said, according to the Hong Kong Free Press. Ms Dong insists she "did not commit a crime". She adds, "The people and groups that hurt me are the ones who are guilty".
It's understood both Ms Dong and Mr Hua were detained. Ms Dong's father, Dong Jianbiao, has reportedly called for his daughter's release, live-streaming a video on Friday where he appears to be apprehended by a police officer who says he's wanted for questioning.
Mr Hua was released from questioning on Monday, a friend told Radio Free Asia, but he hasn't been seen in person.
It's not the first time people have mysteriously gone missing in China after speaking out against the ruling Communist Party. In 2015, Hong Kong booksellers who sold texts critical of Chinese leaders disappeared over two months, Business Insider reports.
While all of the missing booksellers have shown up again, four spoke to state media appearing to confess their alleged crimes against the state.
In March, China's largely ceremonial parliament overwhelmingly voted in support of a controversial constitutional change, which enables President Xi to remain in power indefinitely.
Newshub.
