How did the attack start?
Liang was attacked for defending Xiao Meili, a leading voice in China s feminist movement and the first to face the nationalist storm.
It started when Xiao spoke out on a subject that could not be more apolitical in nature: indoor smoking.
On March 29, Xiao went out for hot-pot dinner with a few friends, during which she became entangled in a dispute with a customer at the next table who refused to stop smoking despite her repeated requests. China banned smoking in indoor public places in 2011 but did not specify penalties. In many cities, the practice is still prevalent due to weak enforcement and a lack of local legislation.
Chinese feminists are being silenced by nationalist trolls. Some are fighting back
The torrent of hate messages filling Liang Xiaowen’s inbox stopped as suddenly as it had started.
For a week, the 29-year-old Chinese feminist was subject to incessant chauvinist and misogynist attacks on Weibo, one of China’s most popular social media sites. She was called a “traitor” and a “xenocentric bitch.” Some users discussed how to find her parents’ home address.
Then, without any warning, Liang’s account was removed by Weibo.
“At first, I could not believe it,” she said. “The slander against me continued online, but I can’t even defend myself anymore.”
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