Chen Pinlin is the director of the documentary ‘Urumqi Middle Road’ (乌鲁木齐中路), which captures scenes from the nationwide “White Paper Movement”, a series of peaceful protests against three years of rolling lockdowns under China’s zero-COVID policy and the harsh environment of censorship and surveillance in China. Chen uploaded the documentary to the Internet around the one-year anniversary of the White Paper Movement. He was arrested on 5 January 2024 and is being held in the Baoshan Detention Centre in Shanghai on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. Chen may face five years in prison if convicted.
