On Wednesday evening, a Tokyo gathering took place around 7pm in front of Shinjuku Station in one of the capital’s busiest commercial districts. Most participants appeared to be young, in their 20s or so.

A three-minute silence was observed at the beginning to express condolences to the victims of the Nov 24 fire in Urumqi that killed 10 people and triggered the growing protests – many believe the strict Covid restrictions in the city in Xinjiang province delayed the emergency response, although local authorities deny this.

“Want freedom!” “Xi Jinping, step down!” the participants repeatedly shouted in Chinese, expressing dissatisfaction against the government led by President Xi Jinping.

Many participants held white sheets of paper – symbolising the lack of freedom of expression – like protesters in their home country do. Protests have spread in major Chinese cities over the past few days, with the authorities scrambling to contain them.

Some held pieces of paper or placards with messages in Chinese, Japanese or English. “Freedom and human rights,” one read. “Chinese Communist Party, step down!” read another. One used an old proverb, meaning “It is more difficult and dangerous to stop people from speaking than to block the flow of a river,” to call for freedom of speech.

Some participants wore hats and sunglasses, as recommended by the organiser, apparently to protect the participants from being identified by Chinese authorities.

One participant, a man in his 20s studying in Japan, told Nikkei Asia that he joined the event because many businesses in his hometown have suffered from the prolonged strict coronavirus containment measures.

“The whole world, except China, is returning to normal,” he said. “I would like to see things return to the way they used to be.”

While the protest heated up into the evening, some joined the event quietly, placing candles and flowers on the street to express condolences for the Urumqi fire victims.

According to Japanese government statistics, about 710,000 Chinese were living in the country as of the end of 2021.

In New York, hundreds of people gathered at the plaza across the street from the Chinese Consulate on a chilly Tuesday evening.

Candles, flowers and signs with phrases such as “Freedom or death” and “Urumqi fire” became the central focus of the crowd. Demonstrators stood close together, many holding cardboard signs written in Chinese.

“Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men? It is the music of the people, who will not be slaves again,” the crowd sang in imperfect unity. The song from the movie “Les Miserables” has been used in Chinese protests against the zero-Covid policy and Xi.

Most protesters were Chinese mainlanders, some were Uyghurs and others were Hong Kongers or Taiwanese. Several demonstrations have taken place in New York in the wake of nationwide protests in mainland China. The organisers on Tuesday made an effort to let Uyghur activists speak first.

“We see you and we hear you, our Uyghur compatriots,” the organisers shouted. After remarks from Uyghur speakers sharing stories of their families still stuck in Xinjiang and calling for unity with Han Chinese, a line of voluntary speakers shared their grievances against the Chinese government, calling for Xi and the Communist Party to step down. The youngest speaker was 13 years old, said the organisers.

“The protests in mainland China gave me strength because I never thought that in today’s China, under the high-tech surveillance and censorship, there could be such an explosion of energy,” one of the organisers, 26-year-old artist and adjunct professor Veronica He, told Nikkei Asia in Mandarin.

“At the same time, I’m very worried about them and my family in China, I’ve felt helpless in the US these past years because we could be loud here – but it would be our family and friends that get hurt in the mainland.”

“Chinese expats overseas don’t have much experience in mobilising. I think it’s still very difficult to express activism in the Chinese diaspora or to define what it means. But for me, I just knew I had to do something,” said He. “I think the rallies we’ve seen over the past few days in New York mean a very significant step forward. We still have a long way to go.”

Zhang, another organiser who only gave his surname, is a 29-year-old data analyst based in New York. He echoed the surprise of having never anticipated that nationwide protests would occur in mainland China. Zhang said he is excited to see the rapid change in attitudes among young Chinese expats.

“I think the poster movement in solidarity with the Sitong Bridge protest gave a lot of people a chance to do something in their own comfort zone. They found courage while putting up posters, and now they’re on the streets joining rallies,” said Zhang. “I expect that more and more Chinese people will join these events – and just like what we’ve seen tonight, more will feel comfortable to speak at rallies and express themselves.”

The demands have grown as well. From the initial request to end the zero-Covid policy, many Chinese protesters have held signs and led chants demanding, “Press freedom! Film freedom! Art freedom!”

Over the past few days, Chinese protests have been held not only in New York, but also in other major cities across the globe. Europe has witnessed rallies big and small almost every day, including in Paris, Berlin, Liverpool, London, Vienna, Eindhoven, Madrid, Lisbon, Rome, Munich, Colon, Hamburg, Budapest and more.

There will be another rally in New York at Washington Square Park on Sunday afternoon.

While the overseas demonstrations continue, police in China have been massively cracking down on protests and making arrests. At the New York protest, Zhang said that while he was excited to see the turnout, he was worried about where the movement would go.

“I’m afraid that people’s enthusiasm will fade over time and nothing will change in China,” said Zhang.