Li Ying Expands Activism Across 3 Continents After 2024 Turin Vandalism
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 1
Li Ying Expands Activism Across 3 Continents After 2024 Turin Vandalism
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 1
October 2024 vandalism at Li Ying’s Turin apartment pushed the Chinese dissident to widen his activism instead of retreating, taking his work beyond social media into in-person advocacy.
Two men loitered outside his door, then spray-painted “stupro” — Italian for rape — after years of threats tied to his X account, one of the most influential Chinese-language outlets for uncensored news and dissent.
Police took Li’s statement and security footage, and a friend drove from Milan to evacuate him and his two cats by the next morning.
Since then, Li — known online as “Teacher Li” — has traveled across Europe, Asia and North America, attending human-rights conferences and meeting diplomats, journalists, activists and politicians.
From a vandalized door to an international crisis, how is one activist's fight reshaping Europe's policy towards China?
After Italy expelled eight Chinese nationals, which European country will next confront Beijing's 'overseas police stations'?
With state hackers breaching police databases, can any dissident truly find safety from transnational repression in the digital age?
From Turin to Crypto: Teacher Li’s Fight Against China’s Global Crackdown on Dissent (2024–2026)
Overview
In October 2024, Li Ying, known as 'Teacher Li,' faced a direct act of intimidation at his Turin residence when two men lingered outside his door and spray-painted a threat. Although shaken and forgetting to livestream the event as planned, Li Ying quickly contacted the police, who responded and collected evidence. This incident did not silence him; instead, it strengthened his resolve. Li Ying left his apartment for safety and chose to intensify his activism, expanding his global engagement and building stronger connections with international human rights communities, turning a moment of fear into a catalyst for broader action.