文：张春宇

编辑：Geoffrey Jin 校对：程筱筱 翻译：戈冰

在当今中国，许多普通人并不是因为犯罪而失去家园，而是因为“发展”“规划”“城市建设”。在这些宏大的词语背后，是一栋栋房屋被推倒，是一个个家庭被迫流离失所。强拆，已经成为许多中国人心中最沉重、最愤怒的记忆。

所谓强拆，本质上是权力对个人财产权和基本人权的践踏。在很多地方，政府与开发商形成利益共同体，通过行政命令、断水断电、暴力威胁等手段逼迫居民搬离。补偿往往远低于市场价值，协商只是形式，不同意的人就被贴上“钉子户”的标签，随后面对的是警察、城管甚至黑社会的威胁。

许多被强拆的家庭经历了难以想象的痛苦。有老人被拖出生活了一辈子的房子，有人眼睁睁看着祖辈留下的家园在推土机下变成废墟。有人试图通过法律维权，却发现法院往往与地方政府站在同一边。申诉无门，媒体沉默，网络帖子被删除，受害者的声音被一层层封锁。

更令人痛心的是，强拆往往伴随着暴力和伤害。全国各地曾多次出现居民自焚、跳楼抗议的悲剧，这些极端行为不是冲动，而是绝望。一个正常的社会，不应该把普通人逼到用生命去抗议的地步。

真正的现代文明社会，应当以法治为基础。政府的权力来自人民，也必须受到法律的约束。任何公共建设都应建立在公开、公平和自愿协商的基础之上，合理补偿、充分听证、尊重居民的选择，而不是以权力压迫个体。

我们反对强拆，并不是反对城市发展，而是反对以牺牲普通人的基本权利为代价的发展。真正的进步，不是高楼林立，而是每一个人的尊严都被保护。

一个社会的文明程度，往往体现在它如何对待最弱势的人。当一个家庭为了守住自己的房子而孤立无援时，当推土机成为解决问题的工具时，这不仅是一个家庭的悲剧，也是整个社会的伤口。因此，我们必须发出声音：停止强拆，尊重产权，保障人权。没有正义的发展，终究不会长久。

When Bulldozers Roll into Your Home: Protesting the CCP’s Forced Demolitions

By Zhang Chunyu

Editor: Geoffrey Jin Proofread: Cheng Xiaoxiao Translator: Ge Bing

Abstract: Against the backdrop of urban construction and development, the issue of forced evictions in some regions of China has drawn widespread attention. Many residents have been compelled to leave their homes with inadequate compensation and insufficient negotiation, facing threats such as water and electricity cuts or even violence, causing profound trauma to numerous families. The article argues that urban development should not come at the expense of ordinary citizens’ fundamental rights. Public projects must be advanced within the framework of the rule of law, ensuring residents’ property rights and dignity through transparent procedures, fair compensation, and thorough consultation. True progress is not merely reflected in the changing face of cities, but in the respect and protection of every citizen’s rights.

In contemporary China, many ordinary people lose their homes not due to criminal activity, but in the name of “development,” “planning,” and “urban construction.” Behind these grandiose terms lie rows of demolished houses and families forced into displacement. Forced demolition has become one of the heaviest and most infuriating memories for many Chinese citizens.

At its core, forced demolition is the trampling of individual property rights and fundamental human rights by power. In many places, governments and developers form collusive interests, using administrative orders, cutting off water and electricity, and violent threats to force residents to leave. Compensation is often far below market value, negotiations are merely a formality, and those who refuse are labeled “holdouts,” subsequently facing threats from police, urban management officers, or even organized crime groups.

Countless families subjected to forced evictions endure unimaginable suffering. Elderly residents are dragged from homes they’ve lived in their entire lives, while others watch helplessly as ancestral properties are reduced to rubble by bulldozers. Those who seek legal recourse often find courts siding with local governments. With no avenue for appeal, media silence, and online posts deleted, victims’ voices are systematically silenced.

Even more heartbreaking is that forced evictions are often accompanied by violence and injury. Tragic incidents of residents setting themselves on fire or jumping to their deaths in protest have occurred repeatedly across the country. These extreme acts are not impulsive, but born of despair. A normal society should not drive ordinary people to the point of protesting with their lives.

A truly modern civilized society must be founded on the rule of law. Government power derives from the people and must be constrained by law. All public projects should be built on transparency, fairness, and voluntary negotiation—with fair compensation, thorough hearings, and respect for residents’ choices—rather than imposing authority to oppress individuals.

Our opposition to forced evictions is not opposition to urban development, but to development achieved at the expense of ordinary people’s fundamental rights. True progress lies not in towering skyscrapers, but in safeguarding the dignity of every individual.

The level of civilization in a society is often reflected in how it treats its most vulnerable members. When a family stands alone in defending their home, when bulldozers become the solution to problems, this is not only a tragedy for one family but a wound for the entire society. Therefore, we must raise our voices: Stop forced evictions, respect property rights, and safeguard human rights. Development without justice will never endure.