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Protest in China against COVID-19 lockdown rules: Triggers and impacts

Jakarta

China demo the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown rules which have been re-imposed by the local government. Residents protest expanded lockdown rules as COVID-19 cases hit a record high for days.

Protests in China are known to have peaked after a fire in Xinjiang on Thursday (11/24) local time. The fire that killed a number of people sparked a demonstration in Xinjiang on Friday (11/25) and spread to other cities, including a demonstration in Shanghai on Sunday (11/27).

For your information, demonstrations in China are quite rare events, which have never happened before since Xi Jinping took power a decade ago.

Here are some things known so far about the news of the demonstration in China which was summarized by detikcom, Sunday (11/28/2022).

China demo Protest against COVID-19 lockdown rules

Residents in China’s Xinjiang region staged a protest or rally against the rules for expanding the regional lockdown due to the rising cases of COVID-19 in China. This lockdown was carried out because there was a new national infection record.

The demonstration in China was held on Friday (11/25) night. As reported by Reuters, Sunday (11/27). Crowds took to the streets in Xinjiang’s capital Urumqi on Friday night. The crowd chanted “End of lockdown!” and threw a fist in the air.

Many of the 4 million Chinese are stuck in the country’s longest lockdown. He said residents were banned from leaving their homes for 100 days.

Demonstrations in China increase after fires in Xinjiang

Demonstrations in China to protest the COVID-19 restriction policy have spread to many cities, including Shanghai. It is known that the protest action was triggered by a fire in a high-rise building in Urumqi, Xinjiang on Thursday (11/24).

Fires in Xinjiang on Thursday are known to have killed 10 people, reported by Reuters on Sunday (11/27). This too sparked public outrage. Many internet users suspected that residents could not escape in time due to the partial blockage of buildings, which city authorities denied.

The fires have unleashed a wave of civil disobedience, including demonstrations on Friday in Urumqi, Xinjiang, unprecedented since Xi Jinping came to power a decade ago.

Meanwhile in Shanghai, crowds gathered on Saturday (11/26) evening at Wulumuqi Street to light candles which escalated into protest action on Sunday (11/27) morning. Police also tried to disperse the crowd.

Impact of the demo, blocking in several regions canceled

In a press conference held in the early hours of Saturday (11/26), Urumqi officials denied that the imposition of the COVID-19 lockdown had hampered the escape and relief efforts.

The blockade which was to be imposed on the ‘Berlin Aiyue’ complex was lifted on Friday (25/11) after the action China demo. At least ten other complexes lifted lockdown measures on Saturday evening before the announced end date.

Of note, the Chinese government is sticking to its zero-COVID policy at a time when most countries around the world are trying to live with the coronavirus. Though low by global standards, cases in China hit record highs for days, with nearly 40,000 new infections recorded on Saturday (11/26).

(wia/idn)

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