By Xiao Ran
On the evening of Jan. 1, 2026, around 7:00 PM, the exterior wall of the Chinese Embassy in Germany was illuminated for the first time with a large-scale anti-CCP projection. The images, themed “Peace, Courage, and Nonviolent Resistance,” highlighted concerns over human rights conditions and political demands. This marked the first time the overseas nonprofit organization China Action extended its citizen protest-style activities from North America to Europe.
First European action on New Year’s Day
China Action explained that the decision to launch its first European action on New Year’s Day was deliberate, noting that the Chinese Embassy in Germany is one of the largest Chinese embassies in the EU. Over the past few years, the embassy has been accused of engaging in cross-border suppression, intimidating overseas dissidents, and infiltrating German society through economic and cultural activities. The projection aimed to send a clear message to the CCP’s largest EU agency and authorities: release all prisoners of conscience, end repression of dissidents and cross-border crackdowns, and call for an end to authoritarian violence.
Activists set up GOBO projectors across the street from the embassy and projected a series of images onto the building’s exterior, reaching up to 18 meters in height, adjusted to match the architecture. After several tens of seconds, embassy security personnel and police intervened, followed by the arrival of Berlin police. Following about an hour of on-site procedures and with the activists’ permission, police temporarily seized the projection equipment to confirm it posed no security risk. The entire process was orderly and conflict-free.
Projected images and messages
China Action disclosed that the projection included four images:
- A call for the release of multiple prisoners of conscience, including Jimmy Lai, Peng Lifa, Xu Zhiyong, Ding Jiaxi, Zhang Zhan, Programming Thoughts, Niu Tengyu, Zhang Yadi, Hu Yang, and others, urging international attention to those detained for expression, belief, or nonviolent actions.
- An image showing the Chinese folk-symbol of resistance, the “Grass Mud Horse,” kicking away the CCP emblem, symbolizing the call for the public to break fear and join the “nationwide resistance movement.”
- The organization’s logo.
- Other images echoing the themes of peace, courage, and nonviolent resistance.
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As of now, the Chinese Embassy in Germany has not issued a public response, nor have German government authorities commented.
Background of China action
Headquartered in the United States, China Action released its “Nationwide Resistance Movement Declaration” in August 2025 across New York, Berlin, London, Tokyo, and Sydney, calling for large-scale nonviolent actions in China to advance democratization. The organization aims to end authoritarian rule and establish a free and democratic new China. On November 26, 2025, the third anniversary of the “White Paper Movement,” and December 10, International Human Rights Day, the group projected images on the exterior of the Chinese Consulate in New York twice, drawing widespread attention.
Berlin action participants
The Berlin action was carried out by China Action volunteers, including overseas Chinese human rights activists, former East German dissidents, journalists, Hong Kong residents living in Germany, and German human rights defenders. Activists noted that the embassy’s architectural features were well-suited for projections, with light passing through near the national flag, making each image a challenge to authoritarianism.
Details from spokesperson Su Yutong
In an exclusive interview with Vision Times, China Action spokesperson Su Yutong explained that the action was originally planned for late 2025, but due to a delay in shipping projector lenses, it was moved to New Year’s Day 2026. The theme of the projection was set as “Peace, Courage, and the Spirit of Nonviolent Resistance” to symbolize the vision for a new year of nationwide resistance.
Su emphasized that the German embassy was chosen due to its representativeness in Western democracies and its status as the largest Chinese consulate in the EU. She said:
“In recent years, the embassy has repeatedly engaged in cross-border suppression, intimidating and threatening overseas dissidents, and infiltrating German society through economic and cultural exchanges.”
The action clearly communicated its position: calling for the release of Jimmy Lai, Peng Lifa, Xu Zhiyong, Ding Jiaxi, Zhang Zhan, Programming Thoughts, Niu Tengyu, Zhang Yadi, Hu Yang, and all prisoners of conscience, while condemning repression and cross-border crackdowns against dissidents.
Su also revealed that since the first projection in New York on Nov. 26, 2025, the creative approach has gained support from many human rights activists. Activists from multiple countries contacted China Action, which provided technical support and designed projection plans tailored to embassy architecture and timing. Participants in Berlin included German journalists, former East German student activists, German human rights defenders, and Hong Kong residents living in Germany.
“When projecting, the light passing next to the Chinese national flag illuminates each image on the wall, serving as both a challenge to and mockery of authoritarianism.”
Legal and strategic considerations
China Action noted that the consulates did not publicly respond to any of the three projection actions. Su analyzed that this is largely due to democratic countries’ protections of freedom of speech and assembly. The organization had prepared legal contingencies, studying similar cases in the U.S. and Germany, finding no instances of peaceful expressive actions leading to detention or conviction.
“Any legal action against such activities would almost certainly be dismissed, and could backfire by generating publicity for the projections, which is something the CCP embassy would not want.”
She added that recent cross-border suppression has drawn Western attention, and prosecuting peaceful demonstrators could be seen as an attempt at cross-border repression using Western law.
Future plans
Regarding future plans, Su said that China Action will advance based on local human rights activists’ willingness. Activists from multiple countries have expressed interest in organizing similar actions locally. The organization is creating a “projection map” to highlight embassies where actions have taken place, aiming to cover more locations globally, including within China.
She mentioned that a Hong Kong group in Sheffield, UK, has called on Hongkongers worldwide to conduct “Free Jimmy Lai” guerrilla projections at chosen dates and locations during January.
