PageSourceSearch

https://freedomhouse.org/article/ccp-trying-and-failing-extinguish-defiance-among-chinese-citizens

html freedomhouse.org collected 2026-10-01 07:25:56 UTC 59,336 bytes, 862 lines download raw bytes

1<!DOCTYPE html>
2<html lang="en" dir="ltr" class="has-alert-bar" prefix="content: http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/  dc: http://purl.org/dc/terms/  foaf: http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/  og: http://ogp.me/ns#  rdfs: http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#  schema: http://schema.org/  sioc: http://rdfs.org/sioc/ns#  sioct: http://rdfs.org/sioc/types#  skos: http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#  xsd: http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema# ">
3  <head>
4    <meta charset="utf-8" />
5<meta name="description" content="People across China persistently express discontent through “lying flat” and public protest." />
6<link rel="canonical" href="https://freedomhouse.org/article/ccp-trying-and-failing-extinguish-defiance-among-chinese-citizens" />
7<link rel="image_src" href="https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/styles/1380x450_fp_and_crop_/public/2026-09/LyingFlat3.png?h=ab29874d&amp;itok=yFHP1O3l" />
8<meta name="google" content="2OCHclTWpVGNQzrZ6kz0pRpxN-Z2PJstfT9zpwte8rE,rcQVxlbjNn332cIiwfgtLr8O7TzXfBnwh7bBZTpCkrI" />
9<meta property="og:site_name" content="Freedom House" />
10<meta property="og:type" content="article" />
11<meta property="og:url" content="https://freedomhouse.org/article/ccp-trying-and-failing-extinguish-defiance-among-chinese-citizens" />
12<meta property="og:title" content="The CCP is Trying—and Failing—to Extinguish Defiance among Chinese Citizens" />
13<meta property="og:description" content="People across China persistently express discontent through “lying flat” and public protest." />
14<meta property="og:image" content="https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/styles/1380x450_fp_and_crop_/public/2026-09/LyingFlat3.png?h=ab29874d&amp;itok=yFHP1O3l" />
15<meta property="og:image:width" content="1380" />
16<meta property="og:image:height" content="450" />
17<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
18<meta name="twitter:description" content="People across China persistently express discontent through “lying flat” and public protest." />
19<meta name="twitter:title" content="The CCP is Trying—and Failing—to Extinguish Defiance among Chinese Citizens" />
20<meta name="twitter:site" content="@freedomhouse" />
21<meta name="twitter:site:id" content="18270066" />
22<meta name="twitter:creator" content="@freedomhouse" />
23<meta name="twitter:creator:id" content="18270066" />
24<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/styles/1380x450_fp_and_crop_/public/2026-09/LyingFlat3.png?h=ab29874d&amp;itok=yFHP1O3l" />
25<meta name="Generator" content="Drupal 11 (https://www.drupal.org)" />
26<meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" />
27<meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" />
28<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
29<script type="application/ld+json">{
30    "@context": "https://schema.org",
31    "@graph": [
32        {
33            "@type": "ScholarlyArticle",
34            "headline": "The CCP is Trying—and Failing—to Extinguish Defiance among Chinese Citizens",
35            "name": "The CCP is Trying—and Failing—to Extinguish Defiance among Chinese Citizens",
36            "about": "People across China persistently express discontent through “lying flat” and public protest. ",
37            "description": "People across China persistently express discontent through “lying flat” and public protest. ",
38            "image": {
39                "@type": "ImageObject",
40                "url": "https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/styles/1380x450_fp_and_crop_/public/2026-09/LyingFlat3.png?h=ab29874d\u0026itok=yFHP1O3l"
41            },
42            "datePublished": "Thu, 09/17/2026 - 10:33",
43            "isAccessibleForFree": "True",
44            "dateModified": "Thu, 09/17/2026 - 00:01",
45            "author": {
46                "@type": "Organization",
47                "@id": "https://freedomhouse.org/",
48                "name": "Freedom House",
49                "url": "https://freedomhouse.org/"
50            },
51            "publisher": {
52                "@type": "Organization",
53                "@id": "https://freedomhouse.org/",
54                "name": "Freedom House",
55                "url": "https://freedomhouse.org/"
56            },
57            "mainEntityOfPage": "https://freedomhouse.org/article/ccp-trying-and-failing-extinguish-defiance-among-chinese-citizens"
58        }
59    ]
60}</script>
60
61<link rel="icon" href="/sites/default/files/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" />
62<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://freedomhouse.org/article/ccp-trying-and-failing-extinguish-defiance-among-chinese-citizens" />
63<script>window.a2a_config=window.a2a_config||{};a2a_config.callbacks=[];a2a_config.overlays=[];a2a_config.templates={};</script>
63
64
65    <title>The CCP is Trying—and Failing—to Extinguish Defiance among Chinese Citizens | Freedom House</title>
66    <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/align.module.css?tltwzg" />
67<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/container-inline.module.css?tltwzg" />
68<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/clearfix.module.css?tltwzg" />
69<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/hidden.module.css?tltwzg" />
70<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/js.module.css?tltwzg" />
71<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/core/misc/components/fieldgroup.module.css?tltwzg" />
72<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/filter/filter.caption.css?tltwzg" />
73<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/core/components/progress.module.css?tltwzg" />
74<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/core/components/ajax-progress.module.css?tltwzg" />
75<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/contrib/webform/css/webform.element.details.toggle.css?tltwzg" />
76<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/contrib/webform/css/webform.element.message.css?tltwzg" />
77<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/contrib/webform/css/webform.form.css?tltwzg" />
78<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/contrib/addtoany/css/addtoany.css?tltwzg" />
79<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/contrib/ckeditor_accordion/css/accordion.frontend.css?tltwzg" />
80<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/core/modules/layout_discovery/layouts/onecol/onecol.css?tltwzg" />
81<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/contrib/paragraphs/css/paragraphs.unpublished.css?tltwzg" />
82<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/contrib/simple_popup_blocks/css/simple_popup_blocks.css?tltwzg" />
83<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/contrib/webform/css/webform.ajax.css?tltwzg" />
84<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/contrib/webform/css/webform.theme.classy.css?tltwzg" />
85<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/core/assets/vendor/normalize-css/normalize.css?tltwzg" />
86<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/core/normalize-fixes.css?tltwzg" />
87<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/action-links.css?tltwzg" />
88<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/breadcrumb.css?tltwzg" />
89<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/button.css?tltwzg" />
90<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/collapse-processed.css?tltwzg" />
91<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/container-inline.css?tltwzg" />
92<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/details.css?tltwzg" />
93<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/exposed-filters.css?tltwzg" />
94<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/field.css?tltwzg" />
95<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/form.css?tltwzg" />
96<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/icons.css?tltwzg" />
97<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/inline-form.css?tltwzg" />
98<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/item-list.css?tltwzg" />
99<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/link.css?tltwzg" />
100<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/links.css?tltwzg" />
101<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/menu.css?tltwzg" />
102<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/more-link.css?tltwzg" />
103<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/pager.css?tltwzg" />
104<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/tabledrag.css?tltwzg" />
105<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/tableselect.css?tltwzg" />
106<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/tablesort.css?tltwzg" />
107<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/tabs.css?tltwzg" />
108<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/textarea.css?tltwzg" />
109<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/ui-dialog.css?tltwzg" />
110<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/messages.css?tltwzg" />
111<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/classy/css/components/progress.css?tltwzg" />
112<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/libraries/colorbox/example1/colorbox.css?tltwzg" />
113<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/custom/ts_freedomhouse/js/lib/aos-animation/aos.css?tltwzg" />
114<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/custom/ts_freedomhouse/js/lib/splitting/splitting.css?tltwzg" />
115<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/custom/ts_freedomhouse/dist/main.css?tltwzg" />
116
117    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://use.typekit.net/ydk7xlb.css">
118    
118<script type="application/json" data-drupal-selector="drupal-settings-json">{"path":{"baseUrl":"\/","pathPrefix":"","currentPath":"node\/8305","currentPathIsAdmin":false,"isFront":false,"currentLanguage":"en"},"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"gtag":{"tagId":"","consentMode":false,"otherIds":[],"events":[],"additionalConfigInfo":[]},"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"eJyFUu1uwyAMfCEWHgk54BBWwMg2XbOnH1rSfTSd9gcf5wOfToYQlKBuFg4wLUxVjb9gSErswHvikKjaL7RLsAbjM4hsdgbBOy4oAhHFDDHawL1BnpaEOUSm3na6EhfI6R3NkrIiWw9Nx89m4ZWcp1LGPFmB0c1dlaqYSBQzOoVo4zge7xO8wu03WUyGjbq6kMTTFXmzVNFTNg0YIkNb5W7wm5l6bX3OSVYMn8Kc4ebmaH9gI6m0MadR683NmfxF7BPOyCaKZc9HxS2MGKis1AXtMEI80-3UKJDqmUyeSWjRl5EzJ91OiopvklFHmu4N52UkbI5qj7pn9EhixoJVp4AKKcskcMV_RUpxBP2n7FiCU_-pK13Ho2lfnw_OYgFi","theme":"ts_freedomhouse","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":{"form_action_p_pvdeGsVG5zNF_XLGPTvYSKCf43t8qZYSwcfZl2uzM":true},"gtm":{"tagId":null,"settings":{"data_layer":"dataLayer","include_classes":false,"allowlist_classes":"google\nnonGooglePixels\nnonGoogleScripts\nnonGoogleIframes","blocklist_classes":"customScripts\ncustomPixels","include_environment":true,"environment_id":"env-2","environment_token":"3S_-G9VkAiUNDDX1WIo-Mg"},"tagIds":["GTM-MDVVC3S"]},"parallax_bg":[{"selector":".report-code-tnr .paragraph--type--full-width-cta, .report-code-ppi .paragraph--type--full-width-cta","description":"","position":"0","speed":0.2}],"simple_popup_blocks":{"settings":[{"identifier":"block-politicalprisonersinitiativepopup","uid":"ppi_person_profiles","type":"1","css_selector":"1","layout":"4","visit_counts":"0","overlay":"1","trigger_method":"1","trigger_selector":".media--type-person-profile .expand-card-button","enable_escape":"1","delay":0,"minimize":0,"close":"1","use_time_frequency":0,"time_frequency":"3600","show_minimized_button":0,"width":"1","cookie_expiry":"0","status":"1","trigger_width":null}]},"ckeditorAccordion":{"accordionStyle":{"collapseAll":1,"keepRowsOpen":0,"animateAccordionOpenAndClose":1,"openTabsWithHash":1,"allowHtmlInTitles":0}},"field_group":{"html_element":{"mode":"default","context":"view","settings":{"classes":"newsletter-webform","show_empty_fields":false,"id":"","element":"div","show_label":false,"label_element":"h3","label_element_classes":"","attributes":"","effect":"none","speed":"fast"}}},"webform":{"xss":{"allowedTags":["a","abbr","acronym","address","article","aside","b","bdi","bdo","big","blockquote","br","caption","cite","code","col","colgroup","command","dd","del","details","dfn","div","dl","dt","em","figcaption","figure","footer","h1","h2","h3","h4","h5","h6","header","hgroup","hr","i","img","ins","kbd","li","mark","menu","meter","nav","ol","output","p","pre","progress","q","rp","rt","ruby","s","samp","section","small","span","strong","sub","summary","sup","table","tbody","td","tfoot","th","thead","time","tr","tt","u","ul","var","wbr","label","fieldset","legend","font"]}},"ajax":[],"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"2cfab7706dda1874e087dc3494627378a15990a17ba39e1dacf68e4c201b3daa"}}</script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 118
118
119<script src="/core/misc/drupalSettingsLoader.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 119
119
120<script src="/modules/contrib/google_tag/js/gtag.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 120
120
121<script src="/modules/contrib/google_tag/js/gtm.js?tltwzg"></script>
121
122
123  </head>
124  <body class="path-node page-node-type-article">
125    <!-- Grid Layout Checker -->
126        <!-- END Grid Layout Checker -->
127
128    <a href="#main-content" class="visually-hidden focusable skip-link">
129      Skip to main content
130    </a>
131
132    <div id="accessibility-url">
133      <a href="/accessibility" class="visually-hidden focusable skip-link">
134		    Accessibility
135      </a>
136    </div>
137
138    <noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-MDVVC3S&gtm_auth=3S_-G9VkAiUNDDX1WIo-Mg&gtm_preview=env-2&gtm_cookies_win=x"
139                  height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>
140
141      <div class="dialog-off-canvas-main-canvas" data-off-canvas-main-canvas>
142      <header id="page-header">
143          <div id="block-alertbar" data-block-plugin-id="block_content:2ae77377-87eb-47d0-9083-9f8f798dc802" class="block block-block-content block-block-content2ae77377-87eb-47d0-9083-9f8f798dc802 alert-bar">
144                            <a href="/investing-freedoms-future">
145                      
146            <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Invest in Freedom’s Future. Support Freedom House.</p>
147</div>
148      
149                      </a>
150                </div>
151
152        <div class="language-switcher-language-url block block-language block-language-blocklanguage-interface" id="block-languageswitcher" role="navigation" data-block-plugin-id="language_block:language_interface">
153  
154    
155      
156  </div>
157
158    <div class="container">
159      <div class="top-row content-side-padding">
160        <div class="site-logo">
161          <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/"><img src="/themes/custom/ts_freedomhouse/logo.svg" alt="Freedom House Logo - Torch next to words Freedom House"/></a>
162        </div>
163        <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="block-primarynavigation-menu" id="block-primarynavigation" data-block-plugin-id="system_menu_block:primary-navigation" class="block block-menu navigation menu--primary-navigation">
164            
165  <h2 class="visually-hidden" id="block-primarynavigation-menu">Primary Navigation</h2>
166  
167
168        
169                <ul class="menu menu--level-1">
170                    <li class="menu-item">
171        <a href="/explore-the-map" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/178">Freedom Map</a>
172              </li>
173                <li class="menu-item">
174        <a href="/country/scores">Countries</a>
175              </li>
176                <li class="menu-item">
177        <a href="/issues" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/351">Issues</a>
178              </li>
179                <li class="menu-item">
180        <a href="/perspectives" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/3203">Perspectives</a>
181              </li>
182                <li class="menu-item">
183        <a href="/policy-recommendations" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/352">Policy Recommendations</a>
184              </li>
185        </ul>
186  
187
188
189  </nav>
190
191        <div class="main-nav__right">
192          <div class="donate-button">
193            <button class="button blue" onclick="window.location.href = 'https://connect.clickandpledge.com/w/Form/bff8aefe-8dd8-4ec4-84cd-96d55f9b5fa1?638073202180975148'">Donate</button>
194          </div>
195
196          <a href="/search/" class="search-button" aria-label="Search" title="Search"></a>
197
198          <button class="menu-toggle" aria-label="Open mobile menu" title="Menu Toggle">
199            <div class="ts-menu-toggle-wrapper">
200              <span></span>
201            </div>
202          </button>
203        </div>
204      </div>
205    </div>
206    <div class="mega-menu mobile-menu-target">
207      <span class="hr"></span>
208      <div class="grid">
209        <div class="mega-menu__left">
210                    <div class="mega-custom-block">Expanding Freedom and Democracy</div>
211          <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="block-quicklinks-menu" id="block-quicklinks" data-block-plugin-id="system_menu_block:quicklinks" class="block block-menu navigation menu--quicklinks">
212      
213  <h2 id="block-quicklinks-menu">Quicklinks</h2>
214  
215
216        
217                <ul class="menu menu--level-1">
218                    <li class="menu-item">
219        <a href="/perspectives" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/3203">Perspectives Blog</a>
220              </li>
221                <li class="menu-item">
222        <a href="/country/scores">Find A Country</a>
223              </li>
224                <li class="menu-item">
225        <a href="/explore-the-map" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/178">Explore The Map</a>
226              </li>
227                <li class="menu-item">
228        <a href="/events" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/344">Events</a>
229              </li>
230        </ul>
231  
232
233
234  </nav>
235
236          <div class="hr mobile"></div>
237        </div>
238        <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="block-megamenu-menu" id="block-megamenu" data-block-plugin-id="system_menu_block:mega-menu" class="block block-menu navigation menu--mega-menu">
239            
240  <h2 class="visually-hidden" id="block-megamenu-menu">Mega Menu</h2>
241  
242
243        
244                <ul class="menu menu--level-1">
245                    <li class="menu-item menu-item--expanded">
246        <a href="/reports" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/387">Reports</a>
247                                  <ul class="menu">
248                    <li class="menu-item">
249        <a href="/report/freedom-world" data-drupal-link-system-path="taxonomy/term/51">Freedom in the World</a>
250              </li>
251                <li class="menu-item">
252        <a href="/report/freedom-net" data-drupal-link-system-path="taxonomy/term/42">Freedom on the Net</a>
253              </li>
254                <li class="menu-item">
255        <a href="/report/nations-transit" data-drupal-link-system-path="taxonomy/term/50">Nations in Transit</a>
256              </li>
257                <li class="menu-item">
258        <a href="/report/transnational-repression" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/3884">Transnational Repression</a>
259              </li>
260                <li class="menu-item">
261        <a href="/report/election-watch-digital-age" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/3706">Election Watch for the Digital Age</a>
262              </li>
263                <li class="menu-item">
264        <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/report/china-dissent-monitor">China Dissent Monitor</a>
265              </li>
266                <li class="menu-item">
267        <a href="/reports/publication-archives" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/488">Archives</a>
268              </li>
269        </ul>
270  
271              </li>
272                <li class="menu-item menu-item--expanded">
273        <a href="/issues" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/351">Our Issues</a>
274                                  <ul class="menu">
275                    <li class="menu-item">
276        <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/issues/countering-authoritarianism">Countering Authoritarianism</a>
277              </li>
278                <li class="menu-item">
279        <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/issues/supporting-defenders-democratic-change">Supporting Defenders for Democratic Change</a>
280              </li>
281                <li class="menu-item">
282        <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/issues/promoting-global-democratic-landscape">Promoting a Global Democratic Landscape</a>
283              </li>
284        </ul>
285  
286              </li>
287                <li class="menu-item menu-item--expanded">
288        <a href="/programs" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/447">Programs</a>
289                                  <ul class="menu">
290                    <li class="menu-item">
291        <a href="/report/free-them-all" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/5842">Free Them All: The Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners</a>
292              </li>
293        </ul>
294  
295              </li>
296                <li class="menu-item menu-item--expanded">
297        <a href="/policy-recommendations" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/352">Policy Recommendations</a>
298                                  <ul class="menu">
299                    <li class="menu-item">
300        <a href="/policy-recommendations/joint-statements-testimonies-and-advocacy" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/372">Testimony and Advocacy Letters</a>
301              </li>
302                <li class="menu-item">
303        <a href="/issues/strengthening-us-democracy" data-drupal-link-system-path="taxonomy/term/64">Strengthening US Democracy</a>
304              </li>
305        </ul>
306  
307              </li>
308                <li class="menu-item">
309        <a href="/country/scores">Countries</a>
310              </li>
311                <li class="menu-item">
312        <a href="/events" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/344">Events</a>
313              </li>
314                <li class="menu-item">
315        <a href="/perspectives" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/3203">Perspectives Blog</a>
316              </li>
317                <li class="menu-item menu-item--expanded">
318        <a href="/news-releases-statements" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/2121">News Releases &amp; Statements</a>
319                                  <ul class="menu">
320                    <li class="menu-item">
321        <a href="/news-releases-statements/media-center" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/6640">Media Center</a>
322              </li>
323        </ul>
324  
325              </li>
326                <li class="menu-item menu-item--expanded">
327        <a href="/about-us" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/337">About Us</a>
328                                  <ul class="menu">
329                    <li class="menu-item">
330        <a href="/about-us/our-history" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/343">History</a>
331              </li>
332                <li class="menu-item">
333        <a href="/about-us/board-leadership" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/338">Board and Leadership</a>
334              </li>
335                <li class="menu-item">
336        <a href="/about-us/our-experts" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/342">Our Experts</a>
337              </li>
338                <li class="menu-item">
339        <a href="/ambassadors-freedom" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/8295">Ambassadors for Freedom</a>
340              </li>
341                <li class="menu-item">
342        <a href="/ways-to-give" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/3814">Ways to Give</a>
343              </li>
344                <li class="menu-item">
345        <a href="/about-us/financials" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/345">Financials</a>
346              </li>
347                <li class="menu-item">
348        <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/careers">Careers</a>
349              </li>
350                <li class="menu-item">
351        <a href="/about-us/contact-us" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/346">Contact Us</a>
352              </li>
353        </ul>
354  
355              </li>
356                <li class="menu-item">
357        <a href="/manage-subscriptions" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/2123">Sign Up for Updates</a>
358              </li>
359        </ul>
360  
361
362
363  </nav>
364
365      </div>
366      <div class="mega-menu-bottom">
367      </div>
368    </div>
369      </header>
370
371  <div  class="region region-content" id="main-content" role="main">
372  <div data-drupal-messages-fallback class="hidden"></div>
373<div id="block-ts-freedomhouse-content" data-block-plugin-id="system_main_block" class="block block-system block-system-main-block">
374  
375    
376      
377<div class="article">
378  <div class="article-header grid">
379        <p class="article-type-date">
380      <span class="article-type">Perspectives</span>      <span class="article-date">September 17, 2026</span>    </p>
381        <h1 class="article-h1">The CCP is Trying—and Failing—to Extinguish Defiance among Chinese Citizens</h1>
382    <div class="article-intro">  <p><span lang="EN">People across China persistently express discontent through “lying flat” and public protest.&nbsp;</span></p>
383
384</div>  </div>
385
386      <div class="container article-left">
387      <div class="content-side-padding article-authors">
388        <span class="hr"></span>
389        <span class="article-written-by">Written By</span>
390        
391      <div class="field field--name-field-author-references field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items">
392              <div class="field__item"><div class="node node--type-person node--view-mode-teaser ds-1col clearfix person-card-teaser">
393  
394
395    
396<div class="flex-wrapper person">
397
398    <a href="/expert/kevin-slaten" tabindex="-1">
399    <div class="round-thumbnail person">
400            <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/480_square_crop/public/2024-02/Kevin%20Slaten.png.webp?h=7f412c8f&amp;itok=sUFxhTOL" width="480" height="480" alt="Kevin Slaten" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-_80-square-crop" />
401
402
403</div>
404      </div>
405  </a>
406
407  <div class="inline">
408
409    <a href="/expert/kevin-slaten">
410    <h3 class="card-title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Kevin Slaten</span>
411</h3>
412  </a>
413
414    <p class="attribute">Research Lead, China Dissent Monitor; Manager, Taiwan Office</p>
415
416    
417  </div>
418
419</div>
420
421</div>
422
423</div>
424          </div>
425  
426      </div>
427    </div>
428  
429  <div class="container article-right">
430    <div class="content-side-padding article-share-buttons">
431      
432  <div class="share-buttons-wrapper grid">
433    <!-- Go to www.addthis.com/dashboard to customize your tools -->
434  <div class="container share-buttons a2a_kit">
435    <a class="a2a_button_facebook" href=" " title="Facebook" aria-label="Share this page on Facebook">
436      <img src="/themes/custom/ts_freedomhouse/img/share-facebook.svg" alt="Facebook" width="30" height="30">
437    </a>
438    <a class="a2a_button_twitter" href=" " title="Twitter" aria-label="Share this page on Twitter">
439      <img src="/themes/custom/ts_freedomhouse/img/share-twitter.svg" alt="Twitter" width="30" height="30">
440    </a>
441    <a class="a2a_button_email" href=" " title="Email" aria-label="Share this page via email" target="_blank">
442      <img src="/themes/custom/ts_freedomhouse/img/share-email.svg" alt="Email" width="30" height="30">
443    </a>
444          <a class="print-button" href="javascript:window.print()" aria-label="Print"><span></span></a>
445      </div>
446
447  </div>
448
449    </div>
450  </div>
451
452      <div class="article-image grid">
453      
454            <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">  <div class="layout layout--onecol">
455    <div  class="layout__region layout__region--content">
456      
457            <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/wysiwyg_full_width/public/2026-09/LyingFlat3.png.webp?itok=0l5czPt5" width="710" height="404" alt="Demonstrators in Chongqing protest animal abuse" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-wysiwyg-full-width" />
458
459
460</div>
461      
462            <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-text-long field--label-hidden caption field__item"><p class="Normal0"><em><span>Demonstrators in Chongqing protest animal abuse with large numbers of police on the scene (Photo Credit: HK01).</span></em></p></div>
463      
464    </div>
465  </div>
466
467</div>
468      
469    </div>
470  
471  
472      <div class="field field--name-field-page-blocks field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden page blocks field__items">
473      <span class='hr'></span>
474                <div class="lovey-block text-paragraph ">
475    <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text paragraph--view-mode--default grid">
476              
477            <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p class="Normal0">&nbsp;</p><p class="Normal0"><span>Recent propaganda and censorship efforts by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have revealed an urgent desire among party leadership to blunt a spirit of defiance within Chinese society. Despite the party’s attempts to curb dissent, however, China’s citizens continue to defy authority, as evidenced by recent </span>
477<a href="https://freedomhouse.org/report/china-dissent-monitor/2026/issue-12-april-june-2026"><span lang="EN-US">findings</span></a><span> of Freedom House’s China Dissent Monitor (CDM).&nbsp;</span></p>  <figure role="group" class="caption caption-div layout layout--onecol align-center">
478<div>
479    <div class="layout__region layout__region--content">
480      
481            <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img class="image-style-wysiwyg-half-width" src="/sites/default/files/styles/wysiwyg_half_width/public/2026-09/CCP%20campaign%20on%20lying%20flat.png.webp?itok=1m5et8HP" typeof="Image">
482
483
484</div>
485      
486    </div>
487  </div>
488<figcaption><em>Screenshot of a CCP propaganda video from April 2026 blaming “foreign forces” for spreading the “lying flat” attitude in China (Photo Credit: China Digital Times).</em></figcaption>
489</figure>
490
491
492<p class="Normal0"><span>Earlier this year, China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) conducted a </span><a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/china/china-says-hostile-foreign-forces-are-driving-its-youth-to-slack-off-2781aba1"><span lang="EN-US">campaign</span></a><span lang="EN"> </span><span>that blamed “foreign forces” for funding the spread in China of “lying flat” (躺平), a term that has become widely used to </span><a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-d2b9f71d73219b32d78709b0afb443ca"><span lang="EN-US">describe</span></a><span lang="EN"> </span><span>the rejection of societal expectations that push individuals to strive for material and social achievement. The official media attributing the trend of lying flat to foreign interference was promptly </span><a href="https://chinadigitaltimes.net/chinese/726853.html"><span lang="EN-US">pilloried</span></a><span> by Chinese netizens who </span><a href="https://x.com/YesterdayBigcat/status/2048988364964282689"><span lang="EN-US">filled</span></a><span lang="EN"> </span><span>online comment sections with criticism and satire. A popular vlogger sarcastically complained that he wanted to “report” foreign forces for failing to pay him despite his tireless efforts to lie flat. These responses have all since been censored.</span></p><p class="Normal0"><span>The CCP’s seeming obsession with curbing the lying flat mindset is worth understanding. The term’s popularity rose in response to China’s grueling “996” work culture, in which many companies expect their employees to work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for 6 days each week. But as the concept of lying flat has expanded, the CCP has become worried that it reflects an underlying resistance to the party’s designs for Chinese people, and that an increasing number of citizens simply don’t care about or support the idea of working harder to contribute to a more powerful state. The Communist Party’s leader Xi Jinping has explicitly </span><a href="https://www.qstheory.cn/dukan/qs/2021-10/15/c_1127959365.htm"><span lang="EN-US">spoken out</span></a><span> against the lying flat attitude.</span></p><p class="Normal0"><em><span lang="EN"><strong>Responding to discontent with censorship</strong></span></em></p><p class="Normal0"><span lang="EN">The issue of popular indifference to nationalist goals has gained greater urgency for the CCP as a persistently sluggish domestic economy has fueled the popularity of lying flat and other forms of societal opposition, including protests. The CDM project has documented a rise in public protests, many of which have been driven by economic grievances like unpaid wages, unfinished housing, or land confiscation. While the CCP has long been concerned with preventing public mobilization, which it euphemistically calls “maintaining social stability,” new directives to strengthen </span><a href="https://merics.org/en/report/serving-people-controlling-them-how-party-reinserting-itself-daily-life"><span lang="EN">community surveillance</span></a><span lang="EN"> and </span><a href="https://www.caixinglobal.com/2025-11-21/commentary-why-china-is-worried-about-a-large-scale-return-of-migrant-workers-102385605.html"><span lang="EN">prevent</span></a><span lang="EN"> large numbers of migrant workers from “idling in their hometowns” reveal a growing anxiety that the spread of discontent is fueling more dissent.</span></p>  <figure role="group" class="caption caption-div layout layout--onecol">
493<div>
494    <div class="layout__region layout__region--content">
495      
496            <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img class="image-style-wysiwyg-full-width" src="/sites/default/files/styles/wysiwyg_full_width/public/2026-09/censored%20douyin%20post.png.webp?itok=x6t1MgY4" typeof="Image">
497
498
499</div>
500      
501    </div>
502  </div>
503<figcaption><em>Screenshot of a deleted Douyin post that contained a protest video.</em></figcaption>
504</figure>
505
506
507<p class="Normal0"><span lang="EN">The CCP’s </span><span>concerns over popular discontent have also led to intensified censorship efforts. In February, the Cyberspace Administration of China </span>
507<a href="https://www.news.cn/legal/20260212/c7ad9636adb44ce7a89f41d6f4a15376/c.html"><span lang="EN-US">ordered</span></a><span> that social media platforms take down and reduce the visibility of content that “incites negative feelings.” In its most recent </span><a href="https://freedomhouse.org/report/china-dissent-monitor/2026/issue-12-april-june-2026"><span lang="EN-US">report</span></a><span>, CDM found that the censorship campaign resulted in a significant decrease in information about protests published on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok). A CDM </span><a href="https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2026-02/CDM_Issue11_2.18.26_0.pdf"><span lang="EN-US">analysis</span></a><span> of nearly 3,000 Douyin posts about protest showed that two-thirds had been deleted, with higher rates for those about protests that were likely to involve government malfeasance. An earlier CDM </span><a href="https://freedomhouse.org/index%2ephp/report/china-dissent-monitor/2023/issue-4-april-june-2023"><span lang="EN-US">analysis</span></a><span> of 4,000 posts from Sina Weibo (a microblogging platform) found that those expressing dissent against powerful actors, even if they were not government actors, were more likely to be taken down.</span></p><p class="Normal0"><em><span><strong>Repression falls short</strong></span></em></p><p class="Normal0"><span>One aim of these propaganda and censorship campaigns is to suppress the sense among citizens that defiance is commonplace, whether through lying flat or public demonstration. The strategy may be effective in reducing the virality of dissent and preventing some localized protests from morphing into larger movements by keeping people in the dark. However, it has failed to eliminate a spirit of opposition that China’s citizens continue to exhibit.</span><span class="MsoCommentReference" lang="EN"></span></p><p class="Normal0"><span>As shown by the most recent CDM </span><a href="https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/CDM_Issue%2012_FINAL.pdf"><span lang="EN-US">
507report</span></a><span>, citizens sometimes even mobilize more quickly in response to government efforts to silence them. In June, peaceful protests sparked by an animal abuse case in Chongqing developed into a large demonstration lasting four days, with a number of protesters joining in defiance after police detained some of the participants on the first day. In August 2025, a violent school bullying </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/08/china-school-bullying-protests-jiangyou"><span lang="EN-US">case</span></a><span> in Jiangyou, Sichuan Province, led hundreds to gather in front of a city government building to demand an adequate official response. When that protest was met with a police crackdown, thousands more took to the streets, with some protesters even recorded chanting “give us back democracy.”</span></p><p class="Normal0"><span>This spirit of defiance is also apparent in </span><span lang="EN">residential neighborhoods across China, where disputes between homeowners and property management companies over fees and misconduct have led to rising numbers of protest events. Residents have increasingly self-organized to achieve greater autonomy in their communities, sometimes using grassroots elections to form owners’ committees and oust the management companies. Residents persist in these activities despite joint efforts by local governments and property firms to </span><a href="https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/CDM-9-Report-1-22-2024.pdf"><span lang="EN">interfere with</span></a><span lang="EN"> or suppress their organizing.</span></p><p class="Normal0"><em><span><strong>Defiance endures</strong></span></em></p><p class="Normal0"><span>Such opposition to authority is common in China. CDM has recorded more than 16,000 protests since June 2022, occurring in every region of the country. In 2025, CDM </span><a href="https://freedomhouse.org/report/china-dissent-monitor/2025/issue-11-october-december-2025"><span lang="EN-US">documented</span></a><span lang="EN"> </span><span>5,343 dissent events, the highest annual number of protests recorded by the project, marking a 44 percent rise over the previous year. While typically sparked by economic grievances, many events are also driven by issues like school safety, environmental causes, or official misconduct. At least a third of protests are directed at the government or other state actors.</span></p></div>
508      
509          </div>
510  </div>
511
512              <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--infographic paragraph--view-mode--default unfriendly-block grid infographic">
513      
514            <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-infographic">
515  
516      
517            <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">    <picture>
518                  <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/1080_wide/public/2026-09/chart-who%20is%20protesting.png.webp?itok=7qgILqAW 1x" media="(min-width: 1441px)" type="image/webp" width="1080" height="758"/>
519              <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/1080_wide/public/2026-09/chart-who%20is%20protesting.png.webp?itok=7qgILqAW 1x" media="(min-width: 992px) and (max-width: 1440px)" type="image/webp" width="1080" height="758"/>
520              <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/1080_wide/public/2026-09/chart-who%20is%20protesting.png.webp?itok=7qgILqAW 1x" media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 991px)" type="image/webp" width="1080" height="758"/>
521              <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/700_wide/public/2026-09/chart-who%20is%20protesting.png.webp?itok=-9B42AIS 1x" media="(min-width: 401px) and (max-width: 767px)" type="image/webp" width="700" height="491"/>
522              <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/308_wide/public/2026-09/chart-who%20is%20protesting.png.webp?itok=1sukPAXx 1x" media="(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 400px)" type="image/webp" width="308" height="216"/>
523                  <img loading="eager" width="308" height="216" src="/sites/default/files/styles/308_wide/public/2026-09/chart-who%20is%20protesting.png.webp?itok=1sukPAXx" typeof="foaf:Image" />
524
525  </picture>
526
527</div>
528      
529  </article>
530</div>
531      
532  </div>
533
534                <div class="lovey-block text-paragraph ">
535    <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text paragraph--view-mode--default grid">
536              
537            <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><span>Through media controls, the CCP attempts to restrict citizens’ ability to grasp the extent of lying flat and public protests in China, but it fails to fundamentally alter the spirit of defiance that so many of the country’s citizens possess. International actors—especially those with large public platforms—can help by amplifying the everyday protest of people in China who are acting in defiance of a party-state that seeks to silence them.</span></p></div>
538      
539          </div>
540  </div>
541
542          </div>
543  
544</div>
545
546
547  </div>
548<div id="block-ts-freedomhouse-85thdonatepopup" data-block-plugin-id="block_content:38a1627c-cb2e-4262-91da-93b3cbb50624" class="block block-block-content block-block-content38a1627c-cb2e-4262-91da-93b3cbb50624">
549  
550    
551      
552<div  class="newsletter-webform">
553  <div class="newsletter-webform__wrapper">
554    <div class="newsletter-webform__interior">
555
556            <button class="newsletter-webform__close" id="modal-close">
557        <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
558<svg width="12px" height="12px" viewBox="0 0 12 12" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
559    <title>6E55EA53-B09E-4B49-9355-9E2A3E37B765</title>
560    <g id="Search" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd">
561        <g id="fh_search_mobile_filter" transform="translate(-355.000000, -253.000000)" fill="#385E8A" fill-rule="nonzero">
562            <g id="icon/close" transform="translate(355.000000, 253.000000)">
563                <polygon id="Path" points="12 10.538 7.408 5.9905 11.954 1.4035 10.538 0 5.993 4.5895 1.405 0.0455 0 1.4505 4.593 6.003 0.0455 10.595 1.4505 12 6.0065 7.404 10.5965 11.954"></polygon>
564            </g>
565        </g>
566    </g>
567</svg>
568      </button>
569
570            <div class="newsletter-webform__image">
571        
572            <div class="field field--name-field-partners-logo field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-_-up-card">
573  
574      
575            <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">    <picture>
576                  <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/650x382_fp_scale_crop_/public/2026-05/A%20WORLD%20WHERE%20ALL%20ARE%20FREE.jpg.webp?h=2f3ffc32&amp;itok=nd8W65IW 1x" media="(min-width: 1441px)" type="image/webp" width="650" height="382"/>
577              <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/650x382_fp_scale_crop_/public/2026-05/A%20WORLD%20WHERE%20ALL%20ARE%20FREE.jpg.webp?h=2f3ffc32&amp;itok=nd8W65IW 1x" media="(min-width: 992px) and (max-width: 1440px)" type="image/webp" width="650" height="382"/>
578              <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/650x382_fp_scale_crop_/public/2026-05/A%20WORLD%20WHERE%20ALL%20ARE%20FREE.jpg.webp?h=2f3ffc32&amp;itok=nd8W65IW 1x" media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 991px)" type="image/webp" width="650" height="382"/>
579              <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/420x250_fp_scale_crop_/public/2026-05/A%20WORLD%20WHERE%20ALL%20ARE%20FREE.jpg.webp?h=2f3ffc32&amp;itok=XelXmJVY 1x" media="(min-width: 401px) and (max-width: 767px)" type="image/webp" width="420" height="250"/>
580              <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/308x182_fp_scale_crop_/public/2026-05/A%20WORLD%20WHERE%20ALL%20ARE%20FREE.jpg.webp?h=2f3ffc32&amp;itok=_ybmiFcC 1x" media="(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 400px)" type="image/webp" width="308" height="182"/>
581                  <img loading="lazy" width="308" height="182" src="/sites/default/files/styles/308x182_fp_scale_crop_/public/2026-05/A%20WORLD%20WHERE%20ALL%20ARE%20FREE.jpg.webp?h=2f3ffc32&amp;itok=_ybmiFcC" alt="A World Where All Are Free by Laura Roosevelt" typeof="foaf:Image" />
582
583  </picture>
584
585</div>
586      
587  </article>
588</div>
589      
590      </div>
591
592            <div class="newsletter-webform__text-and-form">
593
594                <div class="newsletter-webform__title">
595          
596            <div class="field field--name-field-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Invest in Freedom’s Future</div>
597      
598        </div>
599
600                <div class="newsletter-webform__body">
601          
602            <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>As Freedom House marks its 85th anniversary, we're asking you to join our Investing in Freedom's Future campaign. Global freedom has been in decline for two decades — and your support will sustain our world-class analysis, expand resources for rights defenders, and push back against authoritarian abuses. Help us build a world where all are free.</p>
603</div>
604      
605        </div>
606
607                <div class="newsletter-webform__errors"></div>
608
609                
610            <div class="field field--name-field-webform field--type-webform field--label-hidden field__item"><div id="webform-submission-donate-node-8305-form-ajax-content" tabindex="-1"><div id="webform-submission-donate-node-8305-form-ajax" class="webform-ajax-form-wrapper" data-effect="none" data-progress-type="throbber"><form class="webform-submission-form webform-submission-add-form webform-submission-donate-form webform-submission-donate-add-form webform-submission-donate-node-8305-form webform-submission-donate-node-8305-add-form js-webform-details-toggle webform-details-toggle" data-drupal-selector="webform-submission-donate-node-8305-add-form" action="/article/ccp-trying-and-failing-extinguish-def
610iance-among-chinese-citizens" method="post" id="webform-submission-donate-node-8305-add-form" accept-charset="UTF-8">
611  
612  <form class="webform-submission-form webform-submission-add-form webform-submission-donate-form webform-submission-donate-add-form webform-submission-donate-node-8305-form webform-submission-donate-node-8305-add-form js-webform-details-toggle webform-details-toggle" data-drupal-selector="webform-submission-donate-node-8305-add-form">
613  
614  
615  
616  <div class="donate-button" style="text-align: center;">
617    <button class="button blue" onclick="handleDonateClick()">Donate</button>
618  </div>
619</form>
620<script>
621  function handleDonateClick() {
622    window.open('https://connect.clickandpledge.com/w/Form/bff8aefe-8dd8-4ec4-84cd-96d55f9b5fa1?638073202180975148', '_blank');
623    const event = new CustomEvent('donateButtonClick');
624    document.dispatchEvent(event);
625  }
626</script>
626
627
628  
629</form>
630</div></div></div>
631      
632      </div>
633    </div>
634  </div>
635</div>
636
637  </div>
638
639</div>
640
641
642  <div  class="region region-content-bottom" id="main-content" role="main">
643  
644
645
646
647<span class="hr"></span>
648<div id="block-newslettersignup" data-block-plugin-id="newsletter_signup" class="cta block block-frho-common block-newsletter-signup">
649  <div class="container">
650    <div class="newsletter-block cta__wrapper">
651
652      <div class="grid">
653                <div class="heading-intro-wrapper">
654
655                                <h2 class="inline h3">Be the first to know what&#039;s happening.</h2>
656          
657                                <div class="paragraph--type--text newsletter-intro body-base-sans-book"><p>Join the Freedom House weekly newsletter</p></div>
658                  </div>
659
660                                  <div class="link-wrapper">
661            <div class="button large-button blue chevron-right remove-padding">
662              <a class="button large-button blue subscribe-block-button" href="/manage-subscriptions">Subscribe</a>
663            </div>
664          </div>
665              </div>
666    </div>
667  </div>
668</div>
669</div>
670
671
672<button class="back-to-top" aria-hidden="true">Top</button>
673
674<footer>
675  <div class="grid">
676    <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="block-footermainmenu-menu" id="block-footermainmenu" data-block-plugin-id="system_menu_block:footer-main-menu" class="block block-menu navigation menu--footer-main-menu">
677            
678  <h2 class="visually-hidden" id="block-footermainmenu-menu">Footer Main Menu</h2>
679  
680
681        
682                <ul class="menu menu--level-1">
683                    <li class="menu-item">
684        <a href="/issues" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/351">Our Issues</a>
685              </li>
686                <li class="menu-item">
687        <a href="/country/scores" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/183">Countries</a>
688              </li>
689                <li class="menu-item">
690        <a href="/policy-recommendations" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/352">Policy Recommendations</a>
691              </li>
692                <li class="menu-item">
693        <a href="/explore-the-map" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/178">Explore the Map</a>
694              </li>
695                <li class="menu-item">
696        <a href="https://connect.clickandpledge.com/w/Form/bff8aefe-8dd8-4ec4-84cd-96d55f9b5fa1?638073202180975148">Donate</a>
697              </li>
698                <li class="menu-item">
699        <a href="/news-perspectives">News &amp; Perspectives</a>
700              </li>
701                <li class="menu-item">
702        <a href="/reports" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/387">Reports</a>
703              </li>
704                <li class="menu-item">
705        <a href="/events" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/344">Events</a>
706              </li>
707                <li class="menu-item">
708        <a href="/about-us" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/337">About</a>
709              </li>
710                <li class="menu-item">
711        <a href="https://phe.tbe.taleo.net/phe01/ats/careers/v2/jobSearch?act=redirectCwsV2&amp;cws=39&amp;org=FREEHOUS">Careers</a>
712              </li>
713        </ul>
714  
715
716
717  </nav>
718
719
720    <div class="footer-address">
721      <h3 class="footer-header">Address</h3>
722      <p>1225 I Street NW #1200</br>
723      Washington, DC 20005</p>
724      <a href="tel:(202) 296-5101">(202) 296-5101</a>
725    </div>
726
727    <div class="footer-contact">
728      <h3 class="footer-header">General Inquiries</h3>
729      <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#533a3d353c1335213636373c3e3b3c2620367d3c2134"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="20494e464f6046524545444f4d484f5553450e4f5247">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>
730
731      <h3 class="footer-header">Press & Media</h3>
732      <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7d0d0f180e0e3d1b0f18181912101512080e1853120f1a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6f1f1d0a1c1c2f091d0a0a0b000207001a1c0a41001d08">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>
733    </div>
734  </div>
735
736  <div class="container">
737    <div class="content-side-padding footer-bottom">
738      <div class="social-menu">
739        <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="block-footersocialmenu-menu" id="block-footersocialmenu" data-block-plugin-id="system_menu_block:footer-social-menu" class="block block-menu navigation menu--footer-social-menu">
740            
741  <h2 class="visually-hidden" id="block-footersocialmenu-menu">Footer Social Menu</h2>
742  
743
744        
745    <h3 class="footer-header">Follow</h3>
746            <ul class="menu">
747                    <li class="menu-item">
748          <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FreedomHouseDC/" class="Facebook"><span class="visually-hidden">Facebook</span></a>
749              </li>
750                <li class="menu-item">
751          <a href="https://twitter.com/freedomhouse" class="Twitter"><span class="visually-hidden">Twitter</span></a>
752              </li>
753                <li class="menu-item">
754          <a href="https://www.instagram.com/officialfreedomhouse" class="Instagram "><span class="visually-hidden">Instagram </span></a>
755              </li>
756                <li class="menu-item">
757          <a href="https://www.threads.net/@officialfreedomhouse" class="Threads"><span class="visually-hidden">Threads</span></a>
758              </li>
759        </ul>
760  
761
762
763  </nav>
764
765      </div>
766
767      <div class="footer-bottom-right">
768
769                <div class="footer-bottom-right__menu-copyright">
770
771                    <div class="footer-bottom-right__menu">
772            <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="block-footer-menu" id="block-footer" data-block-plugin-id="system_menu_block:footer" class="block block-menu navigation menu--footer">
773            
774  <h2 class="visually-hidden" id="block-footer-menu">Footer</h2>
775  
776
777        
778                <ul class="menu menu--level-1">
779                    <li class="menu-item">
780        <a href="/sitemap.xml" data-drupal-link-system-path="sitemap.xml">Site Map</a>
781              </li>
782                <li class="menu-item">
783        <a href="/about-us/contact-us" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/346">Contact Us</a>
784              </li>
785                <li class="menu-item">
786        <a href="/manage-subscriptions">Manage Subscriptions</a>
787              </li>
788                <li class="menu-item">
789        <a href="/about-us/privacy-policy" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/353">Privacy Policy</a>
790              </li>
791                <li class="menu-item">
792        <a href="/about-us/content-permissions" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/354">Content Permissions</a>
793              </li>
794                <li class="menu-item">
795        <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/disclosure-statements-0">Disclosure Statements</a>
796              </li>
797        </ul>
798  
799
800
801  </nav>
802
803          </div>
804
805                    <div class="footer-bottom-right__copyright">
806            <span class="copyright">@2026 FreedomHouse</span>
807          </div>
808        </div>
809
810                          <div class="footer-bottom-right__501c3">
811            <span class="utility-small">Freedom House is a 501(c)(3) organization registered in the US under EIN: 13-1656647.</span>
812          </div>
813              </div>
814    </div>
815  </div>
816</footer>
817
818  </div>
vendor: 119 bytes, lines 818-821
818
819
820    
821    <script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script>
821<script src="/core/assets/vendor/jquery/jquery.min.js?v=4.0.0"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 821
821
822<script src="/core/assets/vendor/once/once.min.js?v=1.0.1"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 822
822
823<script src="/core/misc/drupal.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 823
823
824<script src="/core/misc/drupal.init.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 824
824
825<script src="/themes/custom/ts_freedomhouse/js/lib/jquery-migrate/jquery-migrate-3.5.2.min.js?v=3.5.2"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 825
825
826<script src="/core/assets/vendor/tabbable/index.umd.min.js?v=6.3.0"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 826
826
827<script src="/modules/contrib/addtoany/js/addtoany.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 827
827
828<script src="/modules/contrib/ckeditor_accordion/js/accordion.frontend.min.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 828
828
829<script src="https://static.addtoany.com/menu/page.js"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 829
829
830<script src="/core/misc/progress.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 830
830
831<script src="/core/assets/vendor/loadjs/loadjs.min.js?v=4.3.0"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 831
831
832<script src="/core/misc/debounce.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 832
832
833<script src="/core/misc/announce.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 833
833
834<script src="/core/misc/message.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 834
834
835<script src="/core/misc/ajax.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 835
835
836<script src="/themes/contrib/stable/js/ajax.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 836
836
837<script src="/modules/contrib/google_tag/js/gtag.ajax.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 837
837
838<script src="/modules/contrib/parallax_bg/js/jquery.parallax-1.1.3.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 838
838
839<script src="/modules/contrib/parallax_bg/js/jquery.localscroll-1.2.7-min.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 839
839
840<script src="/modules/contrib/parallax_bg/js/jquery.scrollTo-1.4.2-min.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 840
840
841<script src="/modules/contrib/parallax_bg/js/parallax_bg.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 841
841
842<script src="/modules/contrib/simple_popup_blocks/js/simple_popup_blocks.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 842
842
843<script src="/libraries/colorbox/jquery.colorbox-min.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 843
843
844<script src="/themes/custom/ts_freedomhouse/js/lib/aos-animation/aos-min.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 844
844
845<script src="/themes/custom/ts_freedomhouse/js/lib/splitting/splitting.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 845
845
846<script src="/themes/custom/ts_freedomhouse/js/lib/splitting/splitting-lite.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 846
846
847<script src="/themes/custom/ts_freedomhouse/dist/main.min.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 847
847
848<script src="/themes/custom/ts_freedomhouse/js/components/frho_newsletter_webform.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 848
848
849<script src="/modules/contrib/webform/js/webform.scroll.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 849
849
850<script src="/modules/contrib/webform/js/webform.ajax.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 850
850
851<script src="/modules/contrib/webform/js/webform.element.details.save.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 851
851
852<script src="/modules/contrib/webform/js/webform.element.details.toggle.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 852
852
853<script src="/modules/contrib/webform/js/webform.element.message.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 853
853
854<script src="/core/misc/form.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 854
854
855<script src="/modules/contrib/webform/js/webform.behaviors.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 855
855
856<script src="/core/misc/states.js?v=11.4.5"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 856
856
857<script src="/modules/contrib/webform/js/webform.states.js?tltwzg"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 857
857
858<script src="/modules/contrib/webform/js/webform.form.js?tltwzg"></script>
858
859
860  
860<script>(function(){function c(){var b=a.contentDocument||(a.contentWindow&&a.contentWindow.document);if(b){var d=b.createElement('script');d.innerHTML="window.__CF$cv$params={r:'a439bc384a7bc6c7',t:'MTc5MDgzOTU0NQ=='};var a=document.createElement('script');a.src='/cdn-cgi/challenge-platform/scripts/jsd/main.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(a);";b.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(d)}}if(document.body){var a=document.createElement('iframe');a.height=1;a.width=1;a.style.position='absolute';a.style.top=0;a.style.left=0;a.style.border='none';a.style.visibility='hidden';document.body.appendChild(a);if('loading'!==document.readyState)c();else if(window.addEventListener)document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded',c);else{var e=document.onreadystatechange||function(){};document.onreadystatechange=function(b){e(b);'loading'!==document.readyState&&(document.onreadystatechange=e,c())}}}})();</script>
860<script type="module" src="https://static.cloudflareinsights.com/beacon.min.js/v31edd6df95cf4e85bb4c19e7a9bdbcba1788362987495" integrity="sha512-iIg7k2xntmwu6/uSb5tpc/hySgZc4eoL31yB29W6tJFo2akwjPWcEqnCEdJvGexCL0KEQwVYv5BlowfhVz26hg==" data-cf-beacon='{"version":"2024.11.0","token":"2f8325a78014421a8f6989815b7c793d","spa":2}' crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
860
861</body>
862</html>

Line numbers count LF bytes from the start of the resource, as the search results do. Vendor segments are library code the classifier recognised; they are stored but not indexed. Bytes are shown as Latin1 characters, one per byte.