作者：吕小静
2026年10月1日，不同族裔的参与者在中国驻旧金山总领馆前参加“国殇日联合抗议集会”（本文照片由关永杰提供）
【旧金山讯】2026年10月1日中午，来自中国、香港、西藏及其他社区的抗议者，在中国驻旧金山总领事馆前举行“国殇日联合抗议集会——为自由、人权与尊严发声”。参与者以演讲、标语及象征性装置悼念受难者，谴责中共专制统治，呼吁释放良心犯、停止强制同化与跨国镇压，并维护地区和平。
在中共庆祝建政77周年之际，集会人士选择站在领馆前，为官方庆典之外的苦难发声：被政治迫害夺去生命的人、仍在狱中的良心犯，以及承受失踪、分离与恐惧的家庭。他们强调，国家的发展不能以牺牲人民的基本权利为代价，盛大的庆典也不能代替对历史责任的追问。
此次活动由中国民主教育基金会、中国民主党旧金山党部、北加州香港会、美国香港人会馆、华语青年挺藏会等团体，与藏人、维吾尔人、越南人及菲律宾人相关组织共同发起。
现场，多面旗帜与中英文标语并列。“自由不是恩赐，是权利”“言论自由不是犯罪”“停止政治迫害”等诉求，将不同社群的经历连接起来。参与者举起画有红色交叉线的习近平肖像，表达对其统治的抗议；“国殇日，不忘苦难”的标语，则提醒人们关注那些仍未获得公道的受难者及其家属。
不同族裔共同发声，从个人自由到地区和平。
此次集会由中国民主党党员周云龙、亚洲反对中共占领与镇压联盟创办人 Jack Duong ，以及来自其他族裔社群的主持人共同主持。主持人向中国、香港、西藏、东突厥斯坦、南蒙古、越南、菲律宾及其他社区的参与者致意，强调不同族群虽有各自的历史经历与现实关切，却能够共同捍卫自由、人权与尊严。
主持人在开场中谴责中共对政治参与、言论表达及民族文化的压制，并提出三项诉求：恢复香港与中国大陆的公民自由、民主及人权；停止针对受压迫民族与群体的宗教迫害、文化压制及反人类罪行；停止非法海上扩张，尊重主权国家的领土完整。
现场，多名不同族裔及社群人士先后发言，从政治迫害、宗教自由、民族语言与文化保护，到主权、安全及地区和平等不同角度，表达对中共独裁统治及其相关政策的抗议。
这些发言将宏大的政治议题带回普通人的生活：一个孩子能否学习母语，一个家庭能否自由实践信仰，一个公民能否公开表达意见，一个民族能否守护文化与家园。不同社群的诉求在领馆前交汇，呼应了活动主题——“不同的民族，共同的追求”。
藏人代表：语言、信仰与身份都不是罪。
旧金山地区西藏青年大会（SFRTYC）理事 Gangchen Wangmo 在发言中表示，中共庆祝建政之际，他们选择铭记苦难、说出真相，并谴责针对藏人语言、宗教及文化的强制同化。
“我们的语言不是罪，我们的宗教不是罪，我们的文化不是罪，我们的身份不是罪。”她强调，孩子应当能够说父母的语言、了解自己的历史，并在自身文化传统中成长。
她呼吁公布第十一世班禅喇嘛根敦确吉尼玛的下落与健康状况、恢复其自由，并释放西藏政治犯与良心犯。她同时批评使藏人儿童远离家庭、母语及文化传统的政策。
在悼念以自焚表达抗议的藏人时，她明确表示，纪念并非美化死亡，而是要求一个无人再因绝望而采取此类行动的未来。她强调，他们反对的是压迫，并非中国人民；不同族群应共同维护自由、尊严及决定自身未来的权利。
湾区西藏之友（Bay Area Friends of Tibet）主席 Giovanni Vassallo 则悼念了17岁藏族尼姑 Kelsang Namtso，表示她于2006年9月30日在逃离西藏途中遭枪击身亡。他也回顾1987年拉萨抗议及其后的镇压，呼吁不要让受难者被遗忘。
Giovanni Vassallo 批评民族团结相关法律、被称为“红袖章队伍”的监控机制，以及大型水坝和采矿工程给藏人社区带来的压力。他表示，当独立采访受到限制、当地人的声音被压制时，受影响者既难以保护家园，也难以向外界求助。
他向参与集会的各族群表达声援，并以“我们不会沉默，也不会停止争取自由，直到西藏获得自由”结束发言。
华语青年挺藏会会长段荆棘以“没有庆祝，只有耻辱”表达抗议，并对美国国务卿向中华人民共和国国庆致贺表示强烈不满，认为当政治犯仍被关押、人权仍遭践踏时，外交礼仪与经济利益不应成为忽略苦难的理由。
她谈及被关押在中国的朋友 Tara Zhang Yadi，也提到一些身在美国、因担忧移民执法而夜不能寐的朋友。对她而言，自由与安全关系到身边具体的人，以及他们每天承受的恐惧。
段荆棘借海子的诗句“万人都要将火熄灭，我一人独将此火高高举起”，表达持续发声的决心。她将这团火献给监狱中的政治犯、灾难中无名的逝者，以及在压迫中逐渐麻木的人们，呼吁以相互扶持抵抗孤立，以公开表达打破沉默。
她强调，不同族群的语言与经历虽不相同，却能够肩并肩争取自由，在世界忽略苦难时，仍然彼此记得、彼此守护。
悼念受难者，追问不受监督的权力。
中国民主党党员杨朝全以“有人在庆祝，我们在这里哀悼”开场，表示他们悼念的是专制统治下失去生命的人们，而每一个遇难者背后，都有一个遭受重创的家庭。
他回顾大跃进饥荒、历次政治运动、文革与六四，并谈及李文亮遭训诫、清零期间的就医困境、贵州转运大巴事故及乌鲁木齐火灾。他批评，不受监督的权力既能造成灾难，又能通过压制真相逃避追责，让普通人不断承受代价。
在他的发言中，悼念与追责紧密相连：受难者不应只留下一个名字或一串数字，造成伤害的权力也不能在遗忘中免于问责。他以“共党下台，还我民主；结束暴政，还我自由”表达诉求。
中国民主党党员李树青同样呼吁正视中共建政七十七年来政治运动中的受难者。他表示，经济与军事力量的扩张，不能抵消人民被剥夺自由的现实；国家的发展也不应建立在牺牲基本权利、威胁周边和平的基础上。
他呼吁国际社会采取切实行动，对政治迫害及破坏地区和平的行为进行追责与制约，要求“结束一党专政，还人民自由与尊严”。
现场还摆放了棺木造型的纸板装置，其中一件写有“民主不可挡”“消灭共产党”等抗议文字，上方放置画有红色交叉线的习近平肖像。参与者以这一象征性装置，表达结束中共统治的诉求。
集会现场的棺木造型纸板装置上摆放习近平肖像，侧面可见“BURY CCP”等文字，表达参与者反对中共统治的立场。
为无法发声的人，也为不应继承恐惧的下一代。
中国民主党党员姚荣涛表示，有些记忆不能被遗忘，有些声音不能被消音，有些底线不能被跨越。他强调：“自由不是罪，人权不是恩赐。”当真相遭封锁、异议人士受打压、基本权利可以被随意剥夺时，人们必须坚持发声。
他呼吁以和平而坚定的行动，为无法到场的人争取权利，也为下一代守护能够说出真相、免于恐惧的未来。
中国民主党旧金山党部文宣部部长缪青中在现场接受采访时表示，参加此次活动，是为了铭记受难者，也为了中国人民的未来。她强调，正因为热爱中国、关心人民，才选择站出来反对专制，要求权力受到约束。
缪青希望中国人能够拥有言论、信仰、结社与政治参与的自由，真正决定国家未来。她表示，悼念逝者也意味着守护活着的人，不能让下一代继续承受同样的伤害。
中国民主党文宣部副部长吕小静则在现场强烈谴责中共的独裁暴政。
“再盛大的庆典，也掩盖不了人民的眼泪！国家属于人民，任何政党都无权将国家据为私产！”她表示，权力不受监督，人民的自由与尊严就难以得到保障。
她谴责封锁真相、压制言论、迫害信仰及向发声者家属施压，强调：“说真话不该成为罪名，坚守信仰不该遭受迫害，亲人更不该成为逼迫我们沉默的工具！”
“我们不能让孩子继续继承恐惧！”吕小静呼吁以和平而坚定的行动，为良心犯与被拆散的家庭发声，争取人民能够自主选择、权力必须接受监督的民主制度。
跨越族裔的声援，让苦难被看见，让权力受追问。
从悼念受难者到声援良心犯，从守护民族语言与信仰到反对跨国镇压、维护地区和平，这场国殇日集会将不同社群的声音汇聚成对专制的共同抗议。发言者反复强调，自由与尊严不能由权力随意授予或收回，人民也不应因表达意见、坚持信仰或守护自身文化而承受迫害。
在领馆前，参与者以和平而坚定的行动表明决心：不让庆典遮蔽血泪，不让恐惧逼迫沉默，不让下一代继续承受压迫。铭记历史、追究责任、结束专制、还权于民，成为贯穿现场的共同呼声。
不同的语言，诉说着同样不容践踏的尊严；不同的历史，连接着彼此守望的承诺。对现场参与者而言，悼念的意义在于继续行动——让被囚禁的人重获自由，让失踪者的家属等到真相，让被压制的声音得到回应，让每一个人都能有尊严地决定自己的未来。
参加本次活动的民运人士名单：方政、胡丕政、周云龙、杨朝全、谬青、董新展、吕小静、蔡晓丽、赵明、姚荣涛、李树青、刘静涛、吴志创、陈森锋、周君红、罗艳丽、卫仁喜、高志彬、谷涛等（排名不分先后）
活动现场剪影。
编辑：李晶 校对：孔祥庆 翻译：戈冰
Multi-Ethnic Rally in San Francisco on National Day of Mourning Protests CCP Tyranny
Author: Lyu Xiaojing
On October 1, 2026, participants of diverse ethnic backgrounds attended the “Joint Protest Rally on the National Day of Mourning” in front of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in San Francisco (Photo provided by Guan Yongjie).
[San Francisco] On the afternoon of October 1, 2026, protesters from Chinese, Hong Kong, Tibetan, and other communities gathered in front of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in San Francisco for the “Joint Protest Rally on the National Day of Mourning — Speaking Up for Freedom, Human Rights, and Dignity.” Through speeches, banners, and symbolic installations, participants commemorated the victims, condemned the autocratic rule of the Chinese Communist Party, and called for the release of prisoners of conscience, an end to forced assimilation and transnational repression, and the safeguarding of regional peace.
As the Chinese Communist Party celebrated the 77th anniversary of the founding of its regime, the demonstrators chose to stand before the consulate to give voice to the suffering hidden behind official celebrations: those who lost their lives to political persecution, prisoners of conscience still languishing in prison, and families enduring forced disappearances, separation, and fear. They emphasized that a nation’s development cannot come at the expense of its people’s fundamental rights, nor can grand celebrations substitute for accountability regarding historical responsibilities.
This event was co-sponsored by organizations including the Chinese Democracy Education Foundation, the San Francisco Branch of the Democracy Party of China, the Northern California Hong Kong Club, the US Hong Kongers Club, and the Chinese Youth for Tibet, alongside related Tibetan, Uyghur, Vietnamese, and Philippine organizations.
On site, numerous flags were displayed alongside slogans written in Chinese and English. Demands such as “Freedom is not a gift, but a right,” “Freedom of speech is not a crime,” and “Stop political persecution” connected the shared experiences of different communities. Participants held up portraits of Xi Jinping marked with red crosses to express their protest against his rule, while banners reading “National Day of Mourning: Never Forget the Suffering” served to remind people to pay attention to the victims and their families who have yet to see justice served.
Diverse ethnic groups spoke out with a unified voice, addressing issues ranging from individual freedom to regional peace.
This rally was co-hosted by Zhou Yunlong, a member of the Democracy Party of China, Jack Duong, founder of the Asian Alliance Against China Occupation and Repression, along with emcees from other ethnic communities. The emcees extended greetings to participants from Chinese, Hong Kong, Tibetan, East Turkestan, Southern Mongolian, Vietnamese, Philippine, and other communities, emphasizing that although different ethnic groups have their own distinct historical experiences and contemporary concerns, they are able to stand together to defend freedom, human rights, and dignity.
In their opening remarks, the emcees condemned the Chinese Communist Party’s suppression of political participation, expression, and ethnic cultures, while putting forward three demands: restoring civil liberties, democracy, and human rights in Hong Kong and Mainland China; halting religious persecution, cultural suppression, and crimes against humanity targeted at oppressed ethnic groups and communities; and ending illegal maritime expansion while respecting the territorial integrity of sovereign nations.
On site, numerous individuals from diverse ethnic groups and communities spoke in succession, voicing their protest against the autocratic rule of the Chinese Communist Party and its related policies from various perspectives—ranging from political persecution, religious freedom, and the protection of ethnic languages and cultures, to sovereignty, security, and regional peace.
These speeches brought grand political issues back to the lives of ordinary people: whether a child can learn their mother tongue, whether a family can freely practice their faith, whether a citizen can publicly express their opinions, and whether a nation can safeguard its culture and homeland. The demands of different communities intersected in front of the consulate, echoing the theme of the event—”Different Nations, A Common Pursuit.”
Tibetan Representative: Language, Faith, and Identity Are Not Crimes.
Gangchen Wangmo, board member of the San Francisco Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (SFRTYC), stated in her speech that as the Chinese Communist Party celebrates the founding of its regime, they choose to remember the suffering, speak the truth, and condemn the forced assimilation targeting the language, religion, and culture of Tibetans.
“Our language is not a crime, our religion is not a crime, our culture is not a crime, and our identity is not a crime,” she emphasized, adding that children should be able to speak their parents’ language, understand their own history, and grow up in their own cultural traditions.
She called for disclosing the whereabouts and health condition of the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, restoring his freedom, and releasing Tibetan political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. She also criticized policies that separate Tibetan children from their families, mother tongue, and cultural traditions.
In commemorating Tibetans who protested through self-immolation, she made clear that remembrance is not about glorifying death, but demanding a future where no one is driven to such actions out of despair. She emphasized that what they oppose is oppression, not the Chinese people; diverse ethnic groups should jointly defend freedom, dignity, and the right to determine their own futures.Giovanni Vassallo, President of Bay Area Friends of Tibet, commemorated Kelsang Namtso, a 17-year-old Tibetan nun, stating that she was shot and killed on September 30, 2006, while fleeing Tibet. He also recalled the 1987 Lhasa protests and the subsequent crackdowns, calling on people not to allow the victims to be forgotten.
Giovanni Vassallo criticized ethnic unity laws, the surveillance mechanisms known as the “red armband contingents,” as well as the pressure placed on Tibetan communities by mega-dam and mining projects. He noted that when independent reporting is restricted and the voices of local residents are suppressed, it becomes extremely difficult for those affected to either protect their homelands or seek outside help.
Expressing solidarity with the various ethnic groups participating in the rally, he concluded his speech by stating, “We will not be silent, nor will we stop fighting for freedom until Tibet is free.”
Duan Jingji, President of Chinese Youth for Tibet, expressed her protest with the statement “There is no celebration, only shame,” and voiced strong dissatisfaction with the U.S. Secretary of State extending congratulations on the National Day of the People’s Republic of China. She maintained that when political prisoners remain incarcerated and human rights continue to be trampled upon, diplomatic etiquette and economic interests should never serve as excuses to overlook suffering.
She spoke of her friend Zhang Yadi (Tara), who is currently detained in China, as well as friends in the United States who lie awake at night fearing immigration enforcement. To her, freedom and security are intrinsically linked to concrete individuals around her and the constant fear they endure every day.
Invoking the poet Hai Zi’s line, “Though thousands of people choose to extinguish their fires, I alone shall hold this fire high,” Duan Jingji expressed her determination to continue speaking out. She dedicated this fire to the political prisoners in prisons, the anonymous souls lost in disasters, and the people who have gradually grown numb under oppression, calling on everyone to resist isolation through mutual support and to break the silence through public expression.
She emphasized that although the languages and experiences of different ethnic groups may vary, they can stand shoulder to shoulder in pursuit of freedom—remembering and guarding one another even when the world overlooks their suffering.
Mourning the Victims, Questioning Unchecked Power.
Yang Chaoquan, a member of the Democracy Party of China, opened his speech by stating, “While some are celebrating, we are here mourning.” He expressed that they mourn those who lost their lives under autocratic rule, noting that behind every victim lies a family that has suffered a devastating blow.
He recalled the Great Leap Forward famine, successive political campaigns, the Cultural Revolution, and the June Fourth Massacre, while addressing the admonishment of Li Wenliang, medical access dilemmas during the Zero-COVID policy, the Guizhou bus quarantine transport crash, and the Urumqi fire. He criticized that unchecked power not only causes disasters, but also evades accountability by suppressing the truth, forcing ordinary people to repeatedly bear the cost.
In his speech, mourning was closely linked to accountability: victims should not be reduced to mere names or strings of numbers, nor should the power responsible for these harms escape accountability through collective amnesia. He expressed his demands with the chant, “Down with the Communist Party, restore our democracy; end tyranny, restore our freedom!”Li Shuqing, a member of the Democracy Party of China, likewise called for confronting the plight of victims of political campaigns over the seventy-seven years since the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party regime. He expressed that economic and military expansion cannot offset the reality of people being deprived of their freedoms, nor should a nation’s development be built upon sacrificing fundamental rights and threatening regional peace.
He called on the international community to take concrete action to hold accountable and constrain acts of political persecution and the disruption of regional peace, demanding an “end to one-party dictatorship, and the restoration of freedom and dignity to the people.”
A cardboard installation in the shape of a coffin was also set up at the venue, with one part bearing protest slogans such as “Democracy is Unstoppable” and “Eliminate the Communist Party,” topped with a portrait of Xi Jinping marked with a red cross. Through this symbolic installation, participants expressed their demand to end CCP rule.On the coffin-shaped cardboard installation at the rally site, a portrait of Xi Jinping was displayed, with text such as “BURY CCP” visible on its side, expressing the participants’ position in opposition to the rule of the Chinese Communist Party.
For those who cannot speak out, and for the next generation who should not inherit fear.
Yao Rongtao, a member of the Democracy Party of China, stated that certain memories must not be forgotten, certain voices must not be silenced, and certain bottom lines must not be crossed. He emphasized: “Freedom is not a crime, and human rights are not a gift.” When truth is blockaded, dissidents are suppressed, and fundamental rights can be arbitrarily stripped away, people must persist in making their voices heard.
He called for peaceful yet firm action to strive for the rights of those who cannot be present, and to safeguard a future for the next generation where they can speak the truth and remain free from fear.
Miao Qingzhong, Director of the Propaganda Department of the San Francisco Branch of the Democracy Party of China, stated in an on-site interview that participating in this event is to remember the victims and for the future of the Chinese people. She emphasized that precisely out of love for China and concern for its people, they chose to stand up against autocracy and demand that power be constrained.
Miao Qing expressed her hope that the Chinese people can possess freedom of speech, faith, association, and political participation, and truly decide the country’s future. She noted that mourning the deceased also means protecting the living, and that the next generation must not be allowed to continue suffering the same harms.Lyu Xiaojing, Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department of the Democracy Party of China, strongly condemned the autocratic tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party at the scene.
“No matter how grand the celebration, it cannot conceal the tears of the people! The nation belongs to the people; no political party has the right to treat the nation as its private property!” She stated that without checks on power, the freedom and dignity of the people can hardly be guaranteed.
She condemned the blocking of truth, the suppression of speech, the persecution of faith, and the pressuring of outspoken individuals’ families, emphasizing: “Telling the truth should not be a crime, adhering to faith should not face persecution, and loved ones should never become tools used to coerce us into silence!”
“We cannot allow our children to continue inheriting fear!” Lyu Xiaojing called for peaceful yet firm action to speak out for prisoners of conscience and torn-apart families, striving for a democratic system in which the people can make their own choices and power must submit to oversight.
Cross-ethnic solidarity allows suffering to be seen and forces power to be questioned.
From mourning the victims to expressing solidarity with prisoners of conscience, and from safeguarding ethnic languages and faiths to opposing transnational repression and maintaining regional peace, this National Day of Mourning rally brought together the voices of diverse communities into a unified protest against autocracy. Speakers repeatedly emphasized that freedom and dignity cannot be arbitrarily granted or revoked by power, nor should the people endure persecution for expressing opinions, adhering to faith, or safeguarding their own cultures.
In front of the consulate, participants demonstrated their determination through peaceful yet firm actions: refusing to allow celebrations to obscure blood and tears, refusing to let fear force them into silence, and refusing to let the next generation continue to bear oppression. Remembering history, demanding accountability, ending autocracy, and returning power to the people became the shared call echoing throughout the venue.
Different languages tell of a shared, inviolable dignity; different histories connect a mutual promise to watch over one another. For the participants on site, the meaning of mourning lies in taking continued action—so that those imprisoned may regain their freedom, the families of the disappeared may receive the truth, suppressed voices may find response, and every individual can decide their own future with dignity.
List of pro-democracy activists participating in this event: Fang Zheng, Hu Pizheng, Zhou Yunlong, Yang Chaoquan, Miao Qing, Dong Xinzhan, Lyu Xiaojing, Cai Xiaoli, Zhao Ming, Yao Rongtao, Li Shuqing, Liu Jingtao, Wu Zhichuang, Chen Senfeng, Zhou Junhong, Luo Yanli, Wei Renxi, Gao Zhibin, Gu Tao, among others (in no particular order).
Highlights from the event site.
Editor: Li Jing Proofreader: Kong Xiangqing Translator: Ge Bing
