How we started

In February 2020, Dr. Li Wenliang, the first whistleblower of COVID-19 in China, passed away after contracting the virus. In response to the Chinese government's mishandling of the pandemic and restrictions on freedom of expression, a group of Chinese international students organized large-scale protests in cities like Toronto and Montreal, leading to the initial formation of the Assembly of Citizens.

Over the following two years, the Assembly of Citizens engaged in and organized multiple political rallies to resist the Communist Party of China's tyranny and support democratic movements in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In May 2022, the Assembly of Citizens was officially registered in Canada and established branches globally, including in Canada.

In June 2022, the Assembly of Citizens participated, as one of the organizers, in a significant demonstration in Toronto commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

Since its foundation, the Assembly of Citizens has steadily grown, attracting new members from various places worldwide. It has also established fruitful collaborations with many other organizations and media outlets. Several key members of the Assembly of Citizens have frequently appeared in media interviews.

The Assembly of Citizens is not only an organization opposing totalitarianism, represented by the Communist Party of China (CCP), but also a shield safeguarding the human rights of Chinese people worldwide from totalitarian encroachment. Moreover, it serves as an incubator for the future civil society of a free China.

We firmly believe that uncontrolled political violence and despotism are the principal culprits responsible for the myriad historical traumas of modern and contemporary China. These forces are not only accountable for the countless horrific tragedies in modern China. Still, they are also the direct instigators of the oppression and injustices suffered by vast swathes of Chinese people today, from the working class to women and children, from intellectuals to human rights advocates, from ethnic minorities to sexual minorities.

The Assembly of Citizens' slogan is "For your freedom and ours"—we not only strive for the deserved rights of every resister determined to overthrow tyranny but also fight for the freedom of all, even the followers of tyranny. The Assembly of Citizens will steadfastly uphold the inviolable bottom line of human rights, becoming a sanctuary for healing political wounds. We will, like our counterparts across the globe, simultaneously resist the aggression of despotic tyranny and prepare for the construction of a free China in the future.

Therefore, the Assembly of Citizens welcomes every member willing to join our concerted efforts, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religious belief, or sexual orientation. Every member of ours, with courage, sincerity, and a spirit of exploration, strives to build a new China that is free, equal, democratic, and respectful of human rights for the Chinese, overseas Chinese, and all freedom-loving people worldwide.