Zhou Xiaoxuan, a former intern at China's state broadcaster CCTV, speaks outside a courthouse before attending a session in her court case against a television host she accuses of groping and forcibly kissing her in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Zhou became the face of the country's MeToo movement after going public with accusations against a prominent CCTV host in 2018. Since then, even as the movement was shut down by authorities, Zhou has continued to speak out. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
BEIJING (AP) - A Chinese woman was shoved by antagonistic bystanders as she headed to court Tuesday in one of the few remaining #MeToo cases from a tamped-down movement whose legacy remains uncertain.
Zhou Xiaoxuan, a former intern at Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, became the face of the country's #MeToo movement after going public with accusations against a prominent CCTV host in 2018. Since then, the movement has been largely shut down by authorities as activists found their online posts censored and faced pressure from authorities when trying to hold protests, but Zhou has continued to speak out.
'œI'm very thankful for everyone, whether we win or lose, I'm very honored to have experienced these last three years,'ť Zhou said to reporters outside the court, as unidentified men and women came up and tried to push her along.
One woman yelled 'œpandemic safety," trying to prevent Zhou from speaking, while a man questioned whether it was appropriate for her to speak alone.
A transgender woman who tried to hold up a sign saying 'œStanding Together'ť was quickly surrounded by police and had the sign ripped out of her hand. She said later that police then asked for her national identification number.
The hearing was the final one in a lawsuit brought by Zhou against CCTV host Zhu Jun, whom she accuses of groping and forcibly kissing her in 2014. She is asking for a public apology as well as 50,000 yuan ($7,600) in damages.
While the movement no longer has protests and lawyers and others helping victims take legal action, some people are still pushing to get justice for victims of sexual violence, even if they do not cite the #MeToo label.
A series of sexual assault and rape accusations in recent weeks has drawn national attention. The most prominent was an accusation of sexual assault made by an Alibaba employee against two men. Chinese-Canadian singer Kris Wu was also arrested in Beijing on suspicion of rape over accusations made online.
In August, accusations posted online by victims led separately to the detention of a math teacher on charges of forcible molestation and the firing of a popular TV host at Hunan Television. Shanghai police, who initially declined to press charges in the latter case, have said they have reopened the investigation.
'œThese incidents are a part of #MeToo, without a doubt,'ť said Lu Pin, the founder of Feminist Voices, an online publication that was shut down by censors in 2018. 'œWithout #MeToo, it's impossible to imagine these types of things coming out.'ť
After the #MeToo movement swept China, authorities responded with legal changes that activists and legal experts say have not yet led to real change on the ground. They defined sexual harassment in the country's civil code, a massive effort approved in 2020 that organized civil laws and promised certain rights to citizens.
Still, victims of sexual violence face legal and social obstacles to seeking justice.
'œThe messaging is quite strong ... and it's saying to people that this is going to change things,'ť said Darius Longarino, a research scholar at Yale Law School. 'œBut on the ground, in the actual system, there's still many pitfalls.'ť
In a recent report, Longarino and colleagues found only 83 civil cases in public databases that related to sexual harassment or molestation between 2018 and 2020. Of the 83 cases, 77 were brought by the alleged harasser against companies or the victim. Just six cases were brought by victims against a harasser.
Zhou's case lingered in the dockets for two years before a Beijing court agreed to hear it last December. The second part of the hearing, originally scheduled for May, was canceled on the day by the court.
A few dozen supporters came on Tuesday to support Zhou, though many kept their distance because of the large number of police. Many police were in plainclothes and stood on the street filming.
'œI think having one more person is a form of support, and form of power,'ť said Sophie Zhou, who said she kept her distance from the court as she saw police asking for ID numbers.
Throughout, Zhou has pushed to make the court hearing a matter of public record and requested the court order Zhu Jun to appear, citing basic court procedures.
When she filed the suit in 2018, such complaints were treated as labor disputes or under other laws that didn't relate directly to sexual harassment. Zhou's was termed a 'œpersonality rights dispute.'ť
The court rejected a request by her lawyers to have her case heard under a legal provision enacted after she filed the suit that explicitly cites sexual harassment.
'œI believe that justice in these basic procedures is a necessary path to take to get a fair result, and all the efforts we made before the hearing are not just for victory, but for a fundamental fairness,'ť Zhou wrote on her WeChat social media account on Monday.
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Wu reported from Taipei, Taiwan. Associated Press news assistant Caroline Chen contributed to this report.
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This story corrects the description of the supporter to transgender woman instead of man.
Zhou Xiaoxuan, left, a former intern at China's state broadcaster CCTV, reacts after being accosted by hostile bystanders outside a courthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Zhou became the face of the country's MeToo movement after going public with accusations against a prominent CCTV host in 2018. Since then, even as the movement was shut down by authorities, Zhou has continued to speak out. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
Zhou Xiaoxuan, left, a former intern at China's state broadcaster CCTV, arrives to attend a court session at a courthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Zhou became the face of the country's MeToo movement after going public with accusations against a prominent CCTV host in 2018. Since then, even as the movement was shut down by authorities, Zhou has continued to speak out. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
Zhou Xiaoxuan, a former intern at China's state broadcaster CCTV, has her identification checked at a barricade outside a courthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Zhou became the face of the country's MeToo movement after going public with accusations against a prominent CCTV host in 2018. Since then, even as the movement was shut down by authorities, Zhou has continued to speak out. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
Supporters gather near a courthouse where Zhou Xiaoxuan, a former intern at China's state broadcaster CCTV, was to attend a court session in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Zhou became the face of the country's MeToo movement after going public with accusations against a prominent CCTV host in 2018. Since then, even as the movement was shut down by authorities, Zhou has continued to speak out. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
Zhou Xiaoxuan, left, a former intern at China's state broadcaster CCTV, is accosted by hostile bystanders outside a courthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Zhou became the face of the country's MeToo movement after going public with accusations against a prominent CCTV host in 2018. Since then, even as the movement was shut down by authorities, Zhou has continued to speak out. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
Zhou Xiaoxuan, a former intern at China's state broadcaster CCTV, has her identification checked at a barricade outside a courthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Zhou became the face of the country's MeToo movement after going public with accusations against a prominent CCTV host in 2018. Since then, even as the movement was shut down by authorities, Zhou has continued to speak out. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
Zhou Xiaoxuan, left, a former intern at China's state broadcaster CCTV, reacts as she arrives to attend a court session at a courthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Zhou became the face of the country's MeToo movement after going public with accusations against a prominent CCTV host in 2018. Since then, even as the movement was shut down by authorities, Zhou has continued to speak out. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
Zhou Xiaoxuan, a former intern at China's state broadcaster CCTV, arrives to attend a court session at a courthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Zhou became the face of the country's MeToo movement after going public with accusations against a prominent CCTV host in 2018. Since then, even as the movement was shut down by authorities, Zhou has continued to speak out. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
Zhou Xiaoxuan, left, a former intern at China's state broadcaster CCTV, arrives to attend a court session at a courthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Zhou became the face of the country's MeToo movement after going public with accusations against a prominent CCTV host in 2018. Since then, even as the movement was shut down by authorities, Zhou has continued to speak out. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
Zhou Xiaoxuan, center, a former intern at China's state broadcaster CCTV, arrives to attend a court session at a courthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Zhou became the face of the country's MeToo movement after going public with accusations against a prominent CCTV host in 2018. Since then, even as the movement was shut down by authorities, Zhou has continued to speak out. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
A man stands on an electronic signboard as he adjusts a security camera at a courthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. A young Chinese woman headed to court Tuesday amid a police cordon and antagonistic bystanders in one of the few remaining MeToo cases from a tamped-down movement whose legacy remains uncertain. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
A security office stands guard at a barricade outside a courthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. A young Chinese woman headed to court Tuesday amid a police cordon and antagonistic bystanders in one of the few remaining MeToo cases from a tamped-down movement whose legacy remains uncertain. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
Plainclothes and uniformed police officers stand guard outside a courthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. A young Chinese woman headed to court Tuesday amid a police cordon and antagonistic bystanders in one of the few remaining MeToo cases from a tamped-down movement whose legacy remains uncertain. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press