“Does not reflect reality”
China downplays wave of protests against zero-Covid policy
11/28/2022 12:42 p.m
In China, these are the largest demonstrations since the democracy movement in 1989: the protests against the strict corona rules that are paralyzing the country and massively encroaching on people’s freedom. When asked about this, the state leadership is tight-lipped.
Despite the biggest protests in China for decades, the government does not want to hear about popular dissatisfaction with its strict zero-Covid strategy. “What you are talking about does not reflect what really happened,” said foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian in Beijing when asked by journalists about the displeasure of many citizens and the demonstrations with thousands of participants in several major cities. In his noticeably short reaction, the spokesman also expressed his conviction that the fight against the corona pandemic would be successful – “under the leadership of the Communist Party and with the support of the people”.
Relying on ignorance instead of dialogue: foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.
(Photo: picture alliance / Kyodo)
These are the largest demonstrations since the democracy movement in China in 1989, which the military brutally suppressed at the time. There were protest marches over the weekend in the capital Beijing and other cities with over a million inhabitants such as Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing, Xi’an and Guangzhou. They were directed against the strict measures of China’s zero-Covid policy, such as repeated lockdowns, mass corona tests and forced quarantine.
“Break the lockdown”
The demonstrations lasted until Monday night. Dissatisfaction is also stirring at universities such as Tsinghua University in Beijing. It was unclear how many people were arrested. China was in virtual news blackout. Social media was full of video recordings, which were quickly deleted by the censors. In the early hours of the night, a large contingent of police in Beijing took action against hundreds of demonstrators near the diplomatic district. Further protest actions were announced. But the government has mobilized strong security forces. Among other things, eyewitnesses reported a large police presence at critical points in Shanghai.
The trigger for the rare public expressions of displeasure was a house fire in the metropolis of Ürümqi in Xinjiang in north-west China on Thursday evening, killing at least ten people. Many expressed the suspicion that the rescue work was hampered by the strict corona measures. As a symbol of resistance and protest against censorship, many demonstrators held up blank white sheets. There were shouts of “lift the lockdown” and “we don’t want PCR tests, we want freedom”.