- Equally bad if you're a journalist who is Han-looking in Uighur neighborhoods. We all feel kind of stuck.
- It is dangerous to film around Han Chinese if you have blonde hair and white skin. They get angry.
- The city is now under martial law.
- A Han Chinese man with a stick just tore open our car door to beat our producer. Averted just in time.
- There is no right or wrong anymore. Just vigilantes, Han and Uighur. Mostly men but some women and even children.
- I asked a Han Chinese girl if she was scared. Yes. But this is to defend my country she says with stick in hand.
- Heading to an ethnic neighborhood.
- A few hundred Han Chinese with sticks and knives have come down the road singing the national anthem.
- Locals tell up there are riots now in three or four locations in the city.
- Looking Han Chinese doesn't make me feel safe I must say.
- From the other point of view the police did manage the situation well - it could have escalated far more.
- The last we saw it looked as if the protesters were dispersing but armed police had guns not by their side, but in hand.
- For those wondering how I am twittering. Have been text messaging a Beijing friend who is posting my messages via proxy.
- There are rottweilers with the police. I fear if we leave bad things will happen to these people. #urumqi
- The government have finally reacted and they are now trying to round us up back to our buses.
- Some men have started throwing rocks.
- Chinese plainclothes with sticks now have shown up.
- Shot police are moving in the protesters are shouting, "Let them free."
- Uighur women with babies and children; hundreds protesting and asking for release of husbands.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Twitter In Xinjiang Amidst Uyghur-Han Riots
Melissa Chan of Al Jazeera is in Urumqi and sending out constant updates of what she is seeing. It seems like the situation is getting worse. Here is a peek:
thanks for keeping it update. I am a Han Chinese and i m seriously concerned about my friends safety there.
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