Police in southern China have detained a car owner for online attempts to organise a campaign against rising licence fees.
The owner, publicly identified only by an online name, hoped for 100 cars to parade around Yangjiang in Guangdong province after the city proposed a 400 yuan ($65) annual fee for vehicles with up to nine seats, reports said.
The driver printed bumper stickers depicting a clenched fist and reading: "To hell with the annual fee" and "Say No to corruption!", the state-owned Global Times said, and was detained by the authorities.
But no protest took place and the detention has raised concerns among lawyers, who say it was not legal, while social media commenters have raised fears over curbs on civil liberties.
"The car owner shouldn't be detained as there was no parade or gathering," the paper quoted Xie Jiajun, a lawyer in Guangdong, as saying.
Police in Yangjiang refused to comment on the case when contacted by AFP.
The car licence fee has yet to be approved or implemented.
The Nanfang Rural News identified the car owner as Zhu Fu 4321, and said the detention was for "inciting and planning illegal gatherings, protests marches and demonstrations and refusing to listen to warnings".
It added that Zhu Fu 4321's protest call came in late October, when police nationwide were on alert to quash all unrest ahead of last week's Communist Party congress that saw the start of a once-in-a-decade leadership handover.
Social unrest is anathema to the ruling party but academics estimate China saw 180,000 protests last year over a wide range of issues including corruption, government-backed land grabs, police brutality and food safety.
China Police hold car protest striker printer
Police in southern China have detained a car owner for online attempts to organise a campaign against rising licence fees.
The owner, publicly identified only by an online name, hoped for 100 cars to parade around Yangjiang in Guangdong province after the city proposed a 400 yuan ($65) annual fee for vehicles with up to nine seats, reports said.
The driver printed bumper stickers depicting a clenched fist and reading: "To hell with the annual fee" and "Say No to corruption!", the state-owned Global Times said, and was detained by the authorities.
But no protest took place and the detention has raised concerns among lawyers, who say it was not legal, while social media commenters have raised fears over curbs on civil liberties.
"The car owner shouldn't be detained as there was no parade or gathering," the paper quoted Xie Jiajun, a lawyer in Guangdong, as saying.
Police in Yangjiang refused to comment on the case when contacted by AFP.
The car licence fee has yet to be approved or implemented.
The Nanfang Rural News identified the car owner as Zhu Fu 4321, and said the detention was for "inciting and planning illegal gatherings, protests marches and demonstrations and refusing to listen to warnings".
It added that Zhu Fu 4321's protest call came in late October, when police nationwide were on alert to quash all unrest ahead of last week's Communist Party congress that saw the start of a once-in-a-decade leadership handover.
Social unrest is anathema to the ruling party but academics estimate China saw 180,000 protests last year over a wide range of issues including corruption, government-backed land grabs, police brutality and food safety.
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