A man in China was detained for nine days after sharing a meme to a group chat that local police deemed offensive. His arrest has gone viral on Chinese social media, CNN reported.
The man, identified only by his surname Li, allegedly shared the meme on the Chinese social media platform WeChat, complaining about local coronavirus prevention and control measures late last month, the report said citing authorities and state media.
Police in Qingtongxia city in the Ningxia region posted a screenshot of Li’s text exchange on Chinese social media but later removed the post.
State-run outlet The Paper reported more details of the incident that has shocked people in China, with a related hashtag garnering 170 million views.
Many protested against Li’s punishment, arguing that a meme hardly justified arrest by the police, a CNN report said.
According to The Paper, Li sent a meme showing a dog in a police hat, holding a police badge and pointing at the camera. It’s a common image that has been used widely online before, with different variations, sometimes including a cat or cartoon character in police hat.
