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Up to 15 leading Chinese rights lawyers and activists have disappeared since Saturday amid a nationwide police mobilisation, according to activists, while the government appeared to censor Internet postings calling for the demonstrations.

“We welcome… laid off workers and victims of forced evictions to participate in demonstrations, shout slogans and seek freedom, democracy and political reform to end ‘one party rule’,” one Internet posting said.

The postings, many of which appeared to have originated on overseas websites run by exiled Chinese political activists, called for protests in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and 10 other major Chinese cities.

Protesters were urged to shout slogans including “We want food to eat”, “We want work”, “We want housing”, “We want justice”, “Long live freedom”, and “Long live democracy”.

At Beijing’s central Wangfujing shopping district where protesters were told to gather, a massive police presence was in place but no demonstrations were seen as thousands of shoppers milled about on what is normally a busy shopping day.

At least two people were seen being taken away by police, one for cursing at the authorities and another person who was shouting: “I want food to eat.”

According to Internet postings, only a few demonstrators appeared in other cities, although large police contingents were seen at designated protest spots in Shanghai, Harbin, Guangzhou and Chengdu.

“I don’t think the call to protest was serious, no one really intended to protest because there are too many police,” leading rights lawyer Li Jinsong told AFP.

“By taking this so seriously, police are showing how concerned they are that the Jasmine Revolution could influence China’s social stability.”