Li Keqiang funeral in China brings out crowds despite suppression effort
Source: The Guardian
Li Keqiang funeral in China brings out crowds despite suppression effort
Police line road amid strictly controlled public tributes to premier once seen as antidote to authoritarian Xi Jinping
Amy Hawkins and agencies
Thu 2 Nov 2023 09.45 GMT
First published on Thu 2 Nov 2023 03.44 GMT
Hundreds of people have gathered near a state funeral home in China as former premier Li Keqiang was being laid to rest.
Plainclothes and uniformed police lined the road leading to the funeral home, blocking traffic and telling people to move along while watching for the presence of unofficial or foreign media.
China’s president, Xi Jinping, and his wife, Peng Liyuan, attended the funeral, along with six other members of the Politburo standing committee, according to Xinhua. The news agency reported that former president Hu Jintao sent a wreath to convey his condolences.
Public tributes to Li have been strictly controlled as the government seeks to prevent a mass outpouring of grief that it regards as a possible trigger for social unrest.
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Original Guardian link (registration required): https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/02/li-keqiang-funeral-in-china-brings-out-crowds-despite-suppression-effort
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