In July of 2023, the Chinese Communist Party arrested a man who built a bridge over a river without the government's blessing. The river had killed several people who tried crossing it, though the Communist Party refused to help the villagers. The man built the bridge himself and was hailed as a hero by his community but was deemed a threat by the Party.

On behalf of the Center for Human Rights, Chen Guangcheng wishes you a happy Independence Day. Today, we encourage you to reflect on the blessings of liberty and democracy, as we continue to fight for human rights around the world, especially in Communist China.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China is upsetting many Chinese citizens. On account of his visit, the Communist Party displaced and imprisoned many human rights activists. Furthermore, Netizens who hoped for American support are concerned that the Biden administration seemingly prioritized trade over human rights during this visit.

The Barefoot Lawyer Reports commemorates the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre by launching a series of biographies of human rights activists in China. This week, we feature Hu Jia, a participant at Tiananmen Square whose whistle-blowing activities drew punishment from the Communist Party.

Listen to part 1 here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1dYyNWXymo4s5xDud5LDpp?si=R-hIeuIERCunvgeb_iaBcg

The Barefoot lawyer reports is proud to announce the publication of a research paper from the Center for human rights. It addresses the topic of this podcast, which is the establishment of illegal policing and surveillance stations by the Chinese Communist party in America and other countries. To read this research paper visit https://arts-sciences.catholic.edu/academics/interdisciplinary/human-rights-center/research-and-analyses/index.html