Li Wenliang, the doctor who warned of a virus afflicting Wuhan before the Chinese health authorities were ready to admit its existence, died last week after being infected with the disease. His death sparked an outpouring of grief and anger among the Chinese public, a tidal wave of emotion that was quickly suppressed as authorities recognized that his passing risked creating a martyr and symbol of the Chinese government's failings.
Li was an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital when he tried to warn colleagues about the virus at the end of last year. His internet posts were censored and he was detained by the police on New Year's Day for "rumor-mongering." He was released two days later after admitting to making "untrue statements" and promising to reflect on his mistakes. At the same time, the police and state media launched a campaign against spreading rumors. Li returned to work, treating the growing flood of patients and was soon infected himself.
He died last week and the internet lit up; references to his passing were viewed more than 270 million times on Weibo (the Chinese version of Twitter). Some admirers sought an apology for him from the Wuhan government, while others demanded freedom of speech, a hashtag that was soon deleted by censors and is now reportedly unsearchable on social media platforms.