As protests over China’s ‘Zero Covid’ policy blazed up in several cities, hundreds of people took to the streets in China’s major cities on Sunday to protest in a rare expression of public anger against the state.
The protests have concurred with a record outburst of cases across China in recent days, which have applied new lockdowns. On Sunday, the National Health Commission reported more than 39,500 cases, which was the highest since the pandemic started.
Hundreds of protestors and police clashed in Shanghai over China’s severe restrictions for a third day. “I’m here because I love my country, but I don’t love my government … I want to be able to go out freely, but I can’t. Our COVID-19 policy is a game and is not based on science or reality,” said a protestor named Shaun Xiao in the financial hub.
The anti-lockdown protest also took to the streets of Wuhan where the pandemic began. Reportedly, many protestors are arrested. There are videos of protests from various university campuses where students have come out in the open to protest against the lockdowns.
“The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai,” said a spokesperson in a statement. He added that “He was held for several hours before being released. During his arrest, he was beaten and kicked by the police”.
