What smells like teen spirit detected

Frustrated students, as Xi Jinping reportedly told visiting European Council president Charles Michel during his visit to Beijing, make for urban Naxals. Well, of course, China’s Citizen One Plus called them something other than Maoists. But you get the drift. Explaining that protesters across China are ‘mainly students or teenagers in university’ who are ‘frustrated’ after three years of the pandemic may not be incorrect. But what would be missing the wood for the Xi would be to see this as ‘mere’ frustration being ‘acted out’ by what smells like teen spirit.

Most movements anywhere – or even revolutions, whether of the cultural kind or otherwise – have a high participation of young people. This is because they usually are the most vocal of citizens, have less to lose or be worried about losing, possess the energy required to agitate, and are naturally less stricken by authority figures/livelihood disruptors. So, no surprises there in Xi’s explanation. That they are angry about China’s hardcore Covid restrictions is also true, although by ring-fencing this explanation as the only cause for ‘frustration’ cleverly dismisses any other grouses that may have built up against Xi’s maotai-baap state. So, will the presence of older people make Beijing sit up? Chances are they will then be simply deemed as immature youngsters with older characteristics.