Occupy movement spreads to Beijing lavatories

A Chinese student is hoping to become a heroine for women around the world by launching an Occupy movement of her own – in the men's lavatory – in protest at waiting times.

A female Chinese student holds a banner and protests in front of a public toilet calling for more cubicles for women during an Occupy Mens Toilet movement in Guangzhou city, south Chinas Guangdong province, 19 February 2012

Fed up with long queues for ladies, Li Tingting led 20 women into a men's public bathroom in the southern city of Guangzhou carrying colourful placards calling for equal waiting times for both sexes.

Now, she plans to take her protest to the capital Beijing, where China'sleaders will gather next month for the annual meeting of the country's rubber-stamp parliament.

"We want senior officials to pay attention to this issue," she told AFP. "It is a big issue for many women. During the protest in Guangzhou, we conducted random surveys and found that the majority of people supported us."

Local media reported after the protest that provincial officials in Guangzhou had responded by agreeing to increase the number of women's lavatories by 50 per cent – a pledge Li says should be taken nationwide.

The issue has sparked a debate on the internet, although not everyone is impressed by the protest.