#MeToo Activist Held Court Hearing In China

#MeToo Activist Held Court Hearing In China
#MeToo Activist Held Court Hearing In China
Anonim

The plaintiff was 27-year-old Zhou Xiaoxuan. She accused renowned TV presenter Zhu Jun of forcibly kissing her in 2014 when she was doing an internship at the state broadcaster CCTV. Zhou demands a public apology from Zhu and 50,000 yuan ($ 7,600) in compensation.

She first reported these allegations online in 2018. Zhu denied the allegations and filed a counterclaim for damaging his reputation.

Speaking to supporters outside the Haidian District People's Court in Beijing, Zhou urged them not to lose heart and said they must “keep fighting” to protect the rights of victims of sexual harassment. “Even if in the end we do not win in the legal field, as long as people know that there are victims of sexual harassment like me, we should see this as a kind of victory,” she said.

China's #MeToo movement is still in its infancy as the authorities have taken a tough stance against any social movements that they believe threaten social stability. In 2015, five women's rights activists planned to campaign publicly against sexual harassment in the run-up to Women's Day, but were arrested and detained for over a month on charges of "stirring up scandals and provoking trouble" by Beijing police.

Translated by the editors of the Vek electronic newspaper

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