Li Maizi of China's 'Feminist Five' Speaks Out About Detention

Chinese feminist activist Li Maizi recounts her arrest and detention, and how it affected China's feminist movement. (8 min., 43 sec.)

Leading up to the observation of Women's Day on March 8, 2015, feminist activists across several Chinese cities planned to hand out stickers protesting sexual harassment on buses and subways. But the campaign never happened. The evening before, police arrested several of the women organizing the campaign, and five of them remained detained for 37 days.

Twenty-seven-year-old Li Maizi (also known as Li Tingting), who was among the five, has been a feminist activist in China for several years, often using playful "performance art" demonstrations to raise awareness of feminist causes. In the above video, Li discusses her arrest and detention, what effect it had on China's feminist movement, and why she thinks Hillary Clinton is "cool." 

Watch the full video of Li Maizi's discussion at Asia Society in New York with fellow activist Di Wang and journalist Barbara Demick in the below video.

ChinaFile Presents: Feminist and LGBT Activism in China, with Li Maizi, Di Wang, and Barbara Demick. (1 hr. 18 min.)