Yue Xie. “‘Lawyering Repression’ and Protest Demobilization Under Rule of Law Authoritarianism.” In Protest and Resistance in the Chinese Party State. Eds. Sheldon Zhang and Hank Johnson, pp. 142-168. Maryland, U.S.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2022.
This article introduces a collection of studies that explore the surprising rise of protest and public dissent in contemporary China, despite its authoritarian and repressive political system. Between 2005 and 2015, public demonstrations increased nearly tenfold, challenging assumptions about the limits of mobilization under autocratic rule. The collection investigates various Chinese protest movements and how the state responds to them, offering insight into the evolving dynamics of repression and resistance.
Although the article itself does not focus solely on lawyers, it contributes to understanding the broader political context in which legal professionals may operate. As protests expand in frequency and scope, lawyers often become involved—whether by defending protesters, navigating state-imposed legal boundaries, or facing repression themselves. This backdrop is essential to comprehending the legal profession’s role in backsliding democracies, where even limited openings for dissent shape the strategies and risks faced by attorneys working within authoritarian constraints.