Hundreds of people took to the streets in Shanghai and clashed with police on Sunday as protests against China’s strict Covid-19 restrictions continued for a third day after a deadly fire at an apartment in the far west of the country.
The wave of civil disobedience, which has swept through other cities including Beijing, is unprecedented in mainland China since President Xi Jinping took power a decade ago, and comes amid growing frustration with Covid policy -0, a landmark of Xi’s administration.
China has been living with some of the toughest restrictions in the world for almost three years.
The fire at a residential building in Urumqi city sparked protests after videos of the incident posted on social media led to allegations that the lockdown was a major factor in the death toll.
Urumqi public officials held a press conference in the early hours of Saturday to deny that anti-Covid measures had made escape and rescue from the fire difficult. Many of Urumqi’s 4 million people are under some of the longest lockdowns in the country, being prevented from leaving their homes for up to 100 days.
In Shanghai, police maintained a strong presence on Sunday in Wulumuqi Street, which takes its name from Urumqi, and where a torchlight vigil the day before turned into a demonstration.
In the evening, hundreds of people gathered in the region.
Some argued with the police who tried to disperse them. People held up blank sheets of paper in protest.
A Reuters witness saw at least seven people taken away by police.
“We just want our basic human rights. We can’t leave the house without getting tested. It was the Xinjiang incident that brought people to this point,” said a 26-year-old protester who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.
A vigil in Shanghai for victims of the apartment fire turned into a protest against Covid restrictions on Saturday, with crowds shouting for the lifting of lockdowns.
China has maintained Xi’s Covid-zero policy, even as much of the world has lifted most of the restrictions. Though low by global standards, Covid cases in China hit record highs in recent days, with nearly 40,000 new infections on Saturday.
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Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
