At least five Chinese feminists who were planning to protest sexual harassment in subways have instead spent International Women’s Day in police custody, as authorities smother any hint of dissent during the annual gathering of the national legislature.

In the past few years, Chinese security forces have stepped up pressure against activists of all stripes, from political and human rights advocates to prominent ethnic minorities and people calling for officials to reveal their wealth. The apparently apolitical topic of sexual harassment shows just how sensitive authorities are to any form of public organising.

During the National People’s Congress, authorities also moved to downplay official media coverage of Under the Dome — a documentary about smog in China that went viral. Police also kept reporters away from a small protest by families of passengers on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared a year ago.