China’s government doubles down on zero-COVID as anger grows
The Hindu
The weekend’s protests in Beijing and Shanghai were not repeated on Monday amid a high security presence in both cities
China’s government on November 28 doubled down on its controversial “zero-COVID” strategy amid unprecedented protests against lockdowns in many Chinese cities.
The weekend’s protests in Beijing and Shanghai were not repeated on Monday amid a high security presence in both cities. Some universities in the Chinese capital, such as Tsinghua University, that saw students come out and protest over the weekend have made plans to send students home early for the winter break, apparently to prevent further gatherings.
The unprecedented protests, on a scale not seen since 1989, have challenged the ruling Communist Party and leader Xi Jinping, who began a third five-year term last month.
The protesters have called for an end to the lockdowns that are mandated under Mr. Xi’s “zero-COVID policy”. In some gatherings, protesters have voiced broader concerns and called for democracy, freedom of speech and for Mr. Xi to step down—demands that will alarm the Chinese leadership and likely lead to a crackdown.
At the Shanghai protest, several were dragged away by police and videos that emerged on Monday showed a policeman repeatedly hitting a female protester inside a bus where others had been detained.
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The BBC said its Shanghai correspondent Ed Lawrence had been arrested and beaten and kicked by the police, and subsequently released. “The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai,” a statement said.