Artist Who Filmed Beijing Crackdown Is Reportedly Freed on Bail
Before he was detained Friday, Mr. Hua posted a series of short videos that he said were filmed in an apartment in Tianjin, a large city near Beijing.
The artist, Hua Yong, posted dozens of short videos in recent weeks recording how the authorities had
forced tens of thousands of people to leave Beijing and demolished vast swaths of neighborhoods.
In the videos recorded Friday, Mr. Hua repeated his desire to remain in China rather than
leave for someplace where he would be able to speak more freely about political issues.
Ji Feng, a friend, said Mr. Hua had been held on suspicion of "gathering the masses to disturb traffic order." He was released
on a form of bail known as "qubao houshen," which allows the police to continue investigating for up to a year.
18, 2017
An artist who was detained by the police after documenting mass expulsion of migrant
workers from the Chinese capital was released Monday on bail, a friend said.
"His detention makes him become like a symbol about how grass-roots people are treated by the
Chinese government." Mr. Hua has been incarcerated over speech issues in China before.
