Third Anniversary of the Urumqi Fire Disaster: Chinese Flag and Xi Jinping’s Portrait Burned in Amsterdam
On the evening of November 24, 2025, dozens of political activists gathered in Amsterdam’s Dam Square, despite the cold and snowy weather, to commemorate the third anniversary of the fire disaster that occurred in Urumqi on November 24, 2022. They issued a statement and held a demonstration calling for the remembrance of East Turkistan’s independence, the collapse of Xi Jinping’s regime, and for the international community to stop the Uyghur genocide.
This demonstration was organized by Abdurehim Gheni, founder of the Support Uyghur Organization ( Stichting Support Uyghurs ). Participants included Qelbinur Sidik,( a witness to the internment camps); Cantonese political activists Zhang Peikun, Liu Feilong, and Guangxi political activists Wei Jijian and Chinese dissidents Jiang Hong and Xiao Songlin.
First, Abdurehim Gheni, founder of the Uyghur Support Organization, spoke in Dutch, offering condolences for the 44 Uyghurs who burned to death in the Urumqi fire disaster three years ago today. He began by playing the East Turkestan national anthem in their memory and observing a moment of silence. He then issued a statement holding the Chinese government responsible for the deaths of the 44 Uyghurs, saying:
”Today, as we commemorate the Urumqi fire disaster three years ago in Amsterdam’s Dam Square, it was a time when the Chinese government’s genocide, forced labor, and biological terrorism in East Turkestan were escalating, and the genocide was continuing with even more brutal methods. While the Chinese government’s zero-COVID policy of strict quarantine terror continued for more than four months in East Turkestan, on November 11, a fire disaster occurred in a building in the area of Urumqi where Uyghurs live most densely. The building was sealed off, the doors were locked from the outside, the area around the building was cordoned off restricting people from entering or leaving, even the firefighting equipment was sealed off, the fire got out of control, and the fire department acted irresponsibly by not arriving on time to extinguish the fire. As a result, 44 of our Uyghur brothers and sisters burned to death. The Chinese government evaded its responsibility for this fire disaster and blamed the innocent people who burned in the fire. The world must not remain silent about this injustice by the Chinese government. The Chinese government must be held accountable for the 44 Uyghurs who burned in the fire disaster and the others who were injured.
Concentration camp witness Qelbinur Sidik (a Chinese teacher in the concentration camp) expressed her anger and hatred towards the Chinese government by recounting the suffering she witnessed in the concentration camp and demanded that the international community investigate the Chinese government.
Xiao Songlin (a fellow townsman and college classmate of Chen Quanguo, the party secretary in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, referred to as occupied East Turkestan) appealed to the international community, saying: ”Never forget the Urumqi fire disaster! Never forget the 44 Uyghur martyrs! Immediately expand the punishment given to Chen Quanguo, who committed genocide in East Turkistan! Punish not only the executioner Chen Quanguo, but also the highest black commander behind him – Xi Jinping! Xi Jinping must step down from the throne!“
Then Jiang Peikun (fighting for Canton independence), Wei Jijian (fighting for Guangxi independence, member of the China Democracy Party in the Netherlands), Jiang Hong (Chinese dissidents), and Liu Feilong (fighting for Canton independence) also spoke in turn, offering their condolences for the 44 Uyghurs who burned in the Urumqi fire disaster, and also stating, ”We want freedom, Xi Jinping must step down! Every nation should determine its own destiny!“ condemning the Chinese government’s brutal oppression and calling on the international community to impose sanctions against the Chinese government.
Despite the extremely cold weather, the demonstration took place in a very lively atmosphere, and flames appeared in Amsterdam’s Dam Square as the Chinese national flag and pictures of Xi Jinping and Chen Quanguo were burned. The demonstrators chanted, ”Xi Jinping, Chen Quanguo, let’s see you burn too. Your power will one day collapse like this flag, burned to ashes in this fire. One day you will be punished by the law! We will definitely take revenge on you. Independence for East Turkestan, independence for Tibet, independence for Southern Mongolia, independence for Canton, freedom for the Chinese people!“
Abdurehim Gheni Uyghur
Date Written: November 26, 2025
