Crowd angered by lockdowns calls for China’s Xi to step down
2 years, 1 month ago

Crowd angered by lockdowns calls for China’s Xi to step down

Associated Press  

SHANGHAI — Protesters angered by strict anti-virus measures called for China’s powerful leader to resign, an unprecedented rebuke as authorities in at least eight cities struggled to suppress demonstrations Sunday that represent a rare direct challenge to the ruling Communist Party. “Everyone thinks that Chinese people are afraid to come out and protest, that they don’t have any courage,” said the protester, adding it was his first time demonstrating. “The tragedy of the Urumqi fire has inspired remarkable bravery across China,” the group’s regional director, Hanna Young, said in a statement. “These unprecedented protests show that people are at the end of their tolerance for excessive COVID-19 restrictions.” Urumqi and a smaller city in Xinjiang, Korla, eased some anti-virus controls in what appeared to be an attempt to mollify the public following Friday’s protests.

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History of this topic

Singing communist anthem, China seniors protest benefit cuts
1 year, 10 months ago

Singing communist anthem, China seniors protest benefit cuts

Associated Press  

BEIJING — Chinese seniors singing the communist anthem protested in the city of Wuhan on Wednesday over benefit cuts, in a rare sign of confrontation with the authoritarian state. The demonstration was the latest sign of economic pain caused by China’s now-abandoned “zero COVID” policy and a drop in local government coffers exacerbated by the collapse of major players in …

China masses take Covid fight into own hands as Xi sits back
1 year, 11 months ago

China masses take Covid fight into own hands as Xi sits back

Hindustan Times  

Left to fend for herself after China abruptly ended the world’s strictest Covid restrictions, 31-year-old Share Xue and her daughter found themselves with 40C fevers and an expired bottle of Motrin. President Xi Jinping asked the public at the beginning of 2023 to “make an extra effort to pull through” the virus wave, and state media urged people to “take …

China's President Xi Jinping says 'light of hope in front of us' on COVID-19
2 years ago

China's President Xi Jinping says 'light of hope in front of us' on COVID-19

Firstpost  

China on Saturday reported more than 7,000 new infections and one death linked to COVID out of its population of 1.4 billion – but the figures appear to be out of step with the reality on the ground Beijing, China: President Xi Jinping said Saturday the “light of hope is right in front of us” as China faces an explosion …

'Light of Hope in Front of Us': Xi Jinping's New Year Message to China Amid Record Covid Cases
2 years ago

'Light of Hope in Front of Us': Xi Jinping's New Year Message to China Amid Record Covid Cases

News 18  

President Xi Jinping said Saturday the “light of hope is right in front of us” as China faces an explosion of Covid-19 cases after an abrupt lifting of restrictions. “Epidemic prevention and control is entering a new phase… Everyone is working resolutely, and the light of hope is right in front of us,” Xi said in a televised address for …

China’s Xi says country’s COVID prevention enters new phase
2 years ago

China’s Xi says country’s COVID prevention enters new phase

Al Jazeera  

The president says Beijing overcame unprecedented challenges in the battle against COVID amid a new significant wave of cases in the country. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for more effort and unity as the country enters a “new phase” in its approach to combating the pandemic. “At present, the epidemic prevention and control is entering a new phase,” he …

Chinese crematoriums overwhelmed as Covid wave surges across the country
2 years ago

Chinese crematoriums overwhelmed as Covid wave surges across the country

Op India  

The workers at Beijing crematoriums have stated that they are overwhelmed with the number of bodies as China confronts a wave of Covid cases. Covid is swiftly spreading across China after three years of rigorous containment restrictions were relaxed last week, with health officials now acknowledging that the exact scope of the epidemic is difficult to trace. China’s main Covid …

Beijing reports first Covid-19 deaths as China eases curbs, crematoriums run 24X7
2 years ago

Beijing reports first Covid-19 deaths as China eases curbs, crematoriums run 24X7

Firstpost  

China’s national health authority has not reported any official Covid-19 deaths since withdrawing many of its domestic restrictions on December 7. The last official deaths were reported on December 3, in Shandong and Sichuan provinces Beijing: Two former Chinese state media journalists have died in capital city Beijing recently due to Covid-19, local media reported on Friday, among the first …

Meet the painter who shared China's Covid protests with the world
2 years ago

Meet the painter who shared China's Covid protests with the world

Hindustan Times  

When China's historic protests against COVID curbs erupted in late November, a 30-year-old Chinese man in a flat in northern Italy became one of the most important conduits of information on the unfolding drama via a lone Twitter account. "Teacher Li is Not Your Teacher", his Twitter handle, became an Internet sensation as he reposted details and footage of protests …

China eases anti-COVID measures following protests
2 years, 1 month ago

China eases anti-COVID measures following protests

Associated Press  

BEIJING — China rolled back rules on isolating people with COVID-19 and dropped virus test requirements for some public places Wednesday in a dramatic change to a strategy that confined millions of people to their homes and sparked protests and demands for President Xi Jinping to resign. Local officials must “take strict and detailed measures to protect people’s life, safety …

‘The protest of our generation’: China’s first-time demonstrators try to find a voice
2 years, 1 month ago

‘The protest of our generation’: China’s first-time demonstrators try to find a voice

LA Times  

It was the middle of the night in Shanghai when Jack’s phone rang, with a message from a friend: Something big is happening. “That said, the skills that people get from moments are things they can use the next time a moment comes along.” :: In the 1980s, China saw rapid growth and modernization under Deng Xiaoping’s embrace of economic …

Protesters near White House demand ‘Free China!’
2 years, 1 month ago

Protesters near White House demand ‘Free China!’

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — About 200 protesters lit candles and shouted “Free China!” two blocks from the White House on Sunday in a show of support for demonstrations in China calling for an end to severe anti-virus controls and for political change. Protesters in Freedom Plaza held up signs saying, “No Dictatorship, No Censorship,” demanding that President Xi Jinping and the ruling …

Protesters win a partial victory as Chinese cities start to loosen Covid controls
2 years, 1 month ago

Protesters win a partial victory as Chinese cities start to loosen Covid controls

CNN  

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. China’s top health official signaled a change in strategy on Wednesday, by declaring the country’s pandemic controls had entered a “new stage and mission.” Xi later shared …

At Shanghai vigil, bold shout for change preceded crackdown
2 years, 1 month ago

At Shanghai vigil, bold shout for change preceded crackdown

Associated Press  

SHANGHAI — The mourners in Shanghai lit candles and placed flowers. A protester who identified himself only as Marco called the remark “unimaginable.” Speaking Xi’s name strikes fear, he said, because the leader is “an untouchable taboo in many people’s hearts.” Then another voice chimed in — this time a man’s, loud and clear. About 3 p.m., a man with …

At Shanghai vigil, bold shout for change preceded crackdown
2 years, 1 month ago

At Shanghai vigil, bold shout for change preceded crackdown

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Three grinding years of lockdowns under China’s “zero-COVID” policy, …

China further relaxes COVID-19 restrictions after protests
2 years, 1 month ago

China further relaxes COVID-19 restrictions after protests

The Hindu  

Cities across China further unwound COVID restrictions Friday, loosening testing and quarantine rules in the wake of nationwide protests calling for an end to lockdowns and greater political freedoms. A number of cities have also begun loosening COVID restrictions, such as moving away from daily mass testing requirements – a tedious mainstay of life under Beijing's stringent zero-COVID policy. Social …

Have protests pushed China to step away from its zero-COVID policy?
2 years, 1 month ago

Have protests pushed China to step away from its zero-COVID policy?

Firstpost  

After following the strictest zero-COVID policy since the outbreak of the virus, China has signalled a shift, with some cities such as Guangzhou, Beijing and Chongqing lifting curbs. On Wednesday, Sun Chunlan, China’s vice-premier and also the person overseeing the country’s COVID response, said the country is entering a “new stage and mission” in its coronavirus fight — a clear …

How a deadly fire ignited dissent over China’s zero-Covid policy
2 years, 1 month ago

How a deadly fire ignited dissent over China’s zero-Covid policy

CNN  

CNN — Stunning scenes of dissent and defiance played out across China over the past week, marking the country’s largest protests in decades – and an unprecedented challenge to leader Xi Jinping. Residents in other parts of the city broke through lockdown barriers and confronted Covid workers dressed in PPE; at one point, the crowd sang the national anthem, roaring …

‘New-found freedom’: China relaxes COVID rules after protests
2 years, 1 month ago

‘New-found freedom’: China relaxes COVID rules after protests

Al Jazeera  

Local governments are allowing positive coronavirus cases to quarantine at home – a marked departure from current zero-COVID rules. A number of cities also began loosening COVID restrictions, such as moving away from daily mass testing requirements – a tedious mainstay of life under Beijing’s stringent zero-COVID policy. Social media footage posted on Thursday night showed dozens of people clashing …

China official signals easing of COVID rules after protests
2 years, 1 month ago

China official signals easing of COVID rules after protests

The Hindu  

After days of unprecedented protests against three years of stringent COVID-19 restrictions, Chinese authorities have this week signalled a pathway towards gradually easing some of the measures and a change in policy. The top official in charge of the pandemic policy, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, in a meeting held on Wednesday with scientists of the National Health Commission and with …

How a fire in remote China triggered nationwide covid protests
2 years, 1 month ago

How a fire in remote China triggered nationwide covid protests

Live Mint  

As smoke crept through the 21-story apartment building in far western China, panicked messages filled the residents’ chat group. Pandemic controls imposed by Chinese authorities around, and possibly inside, the apartment building had delayed the fire response, neighbors and family members of those killed have said. Li Wensheng, Urumqi’s fire chief, said at the press briefing that some residents’ “self-rescue …

Anti-Lockdown Protests in China: Reading The Discontent Against Slowdowns, Surveillance, Censorship
2 years, 1 month ago

Anti-Lockdown Protests in China: Reading The Discontent Against Slowdowns, Surveillance, Censorship

ABP News  

As resentment over Xi Jinping’s zero-Covid policy grows nearly three years into the pandemic, a wave of civil disobedience and public protests in mainland China is breaking out. Many people held up white sheets of paper with no writing to symbolise their opposition to censorship while chanting, “Need human rights, need freedom.” Others sang The Internationale, a communist anthem used …

What’s next for China’s anti-lockdown protests?
2 years, 1 month ago

What’s next for China’s anti-lockdown protests?

Al Jazeera  

On Thursday, December 1 at 19:30 GMT: Nearly three years into the pandemic, China continues to enforce strict lockdowns under its “zero-COVID” strategy. Public anger over COVID restrictions has erupted into protests in major cities, and while China has kept its case numbers low compared to other nations, critics including the World Health Organization, believe that government measures have been …

China vows crackdown on ‘hostile forces’ as public tests Xi
2 years, 1 month ago

China vows crackdown on ‘hostile forces’ as public tests Xi

Associated Press  

BEIJING — China’s ruling Communist Party has vowed to “resolutely crack down on infiltration and sabotage activities by hostile forces,” following the largest street demonstrations in decades by citizens fed up with strict anti-virus restrictions. “The meeting emphasized that political and legal organs must take effective measures to … resolutely safeguard national security and social stability,” the statement said. On …

China COVID protests die down, but policy resentment remains
2 years, 1 month ago

China COVID protests die down, but policy resentment remains

Al Jazeera  

Bill was standing with a group of people mostly in their 20s when a young woman started to lead the chanting. “If you’ve been following Chinese politics for long enough, you have to wonder whether the anti-lockdown protests are getting near the point where serious top-down nationwide crackdown becomes pretty much inevitable,” Taisu Zhang, a professor at Yale Law School, …

China COVID-19 policy protesters reveal why they took to the streets and what they saw
2 years, 1 month ago

China COVID-19 policy protesters reveal why they took to the streets and what they saw

ABC  

Protests have broken out across China in what some are calling the greatest display of civil disobedience since the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. "It's been like this in China for a long time," she said. "I feel like people's attitude towards COVID policies changed dramatically in the past six months, since what happened in Shanghai," he said. "I just …

China softens COVID stance after protests, clashes with police
2 years, 1 month ago

China softens COVID stance after protests, clashes with police

Al Jazeera  

Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees COVID response, says the virus’s ability to cause disease has weakened. With daily cases remaining near record levels even after prolonged lockdowns, Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees the country’s coronavirus response, said on Wednesday that the virus’s ability to cause disease was weakening. “The latest developments come despite stern warnings against taking …

Chinese in Southern California are sympathetic, worried for protesters back home
2 years, 1 month ago

Chinese in Southern California are sympathetic, worried for protesters back home

LA Times  

A woman lights a candle during a vigil at USC Tuesday night for people suffering under stringent COVID-19 lockdowns in China. “I don’t know how long the state and the government think these lockdowns can go on,” said Yuen, 33, a software developer from Beijing who moved to the Los Angeles area in 2017. China’s ruling Communist Party has vowed …

Beijing moves to defuse protests with carrot-and-stick policy, announces plan to boost elderly COVID-19 vaccination
2 years, 1 month ago

Beijing moves to defuse protests with carrot-and-stick policy, announces plan to boost elderly COVID-19 vaccination

The Hindu  

China’s government on November 29 said it would launch a new push to vaccinate the elderly—a key step that would enable an eventual easing of the unpopular “zero-COVID” policy—while also pledging to crack down on activities that “disrupt social order”. Editorial | Time for change: On ending the zero-COVID policy On Tuesday, health officials unveiled a plan to boost vaccination …

Twitter searches for China COVID-19 protests bombarded by spam, porn
2 years, 1 month ago

Twitter searches for China COVID-19 protests bombarded by spam, porn

Firstpost  

For the past few days, searches in Chinese for major protest hotspots, including Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Guangzhou, show a nonstop stream of solicitations, images of scantily clad women in suggestive poses and seemingly random word and sentence fragments Beijing: In what appears to be an attempt by the Chinese government or its allies to wipe out images of the …

China lockdown protests pause as police flood city streets
2 years, 1 month ago

China lockdown protests pause as police flood city streets

Associated Press  

HONG KONG — With police out in force, there was no word of additional protests against strict government anti-pandemic measures Tuesday in Beijing, as temperatures fell well below freezing. Hiding their faces to avoid official retaliation, the students chanted, “No PCR tests but freedom!” and “Oppose dictatorship, don’t be slaves!” The gathering and a similar one elsewhere in Hong Kong …

China moves to curb protests, some COVID measures adjusted
2 years, 1 month ago

China moves to curb protests, some COVID measures adjusted

Al Jazeera  

Heavy police presence on streets of protest cities after an unprecedented outpouring of anger over harsh curbs. Police in China have moved against protests taking place in multiple cities across the country, as authorities in some areas began to modify the harsh COVID-19 restrictions that are fuelling the unrest. The Urumqi blaze led to protests in multiple cities across China, …

China Covid protests 'are greatest threat to Xi's rule that he has ever faced'
2 years, 1 month ago

China Covid protests 'are greatest threat to Xi's rule that he has ever faced'

Daily Mail  

Xi Jinping is facing the greatest threat to his rule to date as a 'pressure cooker' of anger fuelled by Covid lockdowns explodes across China in mass demonstrations calling on him to resign, an expert has told MailOnline. Hazmat-suited workers are seen on the streets of Beijing as China cracks down on one of its largest outbreaks of Covid to …

Xi's Iron Grip Tested, Urumqi Blaze Tragedy Sparks Fiery anti-Lockdown Protests in China
2 years, 1 month ago

Xi's Iron Grip Tested, Urumqi Blaze Tragedy Sparks Fiery anti-Lockdown Protests in China

News 18  

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s iron grip is being tested in his country as protests have broken out against his stringent Covid lockdown policy. Hundreds of people took to the streets in China’s major cities on Sunday to protest against the country’s zero-Covid policy with a rare outpouring of public anger against the state. A deadly fire on Thursday in Urumqi, …

Chinese protests spread over government’s covid restrictions
2 years, 1 month ago

Chinese protests spread over government’s covid restrictions

Live Mint  

BEIJING : Protests are erupting in major cities in China over President Xi Jinping‘s zero-tolerance approach to Covid-19, an unusual show of defiance in the country as the economic and social costs from snap lockdowns and other strict restrictions escalate. Other videos and photographs circulating online showed students demonstrating at the Communication University of China in Nanjing, with one clip …

Photos: The Chinese take to the streets over country’s 'zero COVID' strategy
2 years, 1 month ago

Photos: The Chinese take to the streets over country’s 'zero COVID' strategy

Hindustan Times  

Photos: The Chinese take to the streets over country’s 'zero COVID' strategy Beijing and Shanghai witnessed public outrage against the state yesterday and today, with the public shouting slogans such as "Xi Jinping, step down! However, officials continue to stand by the Zero-Covid policy as they refused to make any comment on the mounting protests and the criticism of President …

Explained: How COVID-19 frustrations have pushed Chinese out on to the streets
2 years, 1 month ago

Explained: How COVID-19 frustrations have pushed Chinese out on to the streets

Firstpost  

Discontent has been brewing in China for months over the country’s zero-COVID policy. A gruelling lockdown in Shanghai in late March brought the first visible glimmer of widespread dissent followed by campus protests, and finally the Urumqi protests Beijing: Discontent has brewed for months in China over the country’s zero-COVID policy, with relentless mass testing, localised lockdowns and travel restrictions …

Explained: The challenge before China’s Xi Jinping as rare lockdown protests spread
2 years, 1 month ago

Explained: The challenge before China’s Xi Jinping as rare lockdown protests spread

Firstpost  

It’s rare to see a protest in China. The protest below, apparently in central Beijing’s liangmaqiao, is astounding #China #protests pic.twitter.com/UHJCqqF1YG — Tom Mackenzie November 27, 2022 Why did the protests erupt? Even children were killed pic.twitter.com/cTSt6F5yXc — Jack Poso 🇺🇸 November 28, 2022 Videos, which are going viral on social media, despite China’s censorship, show residents marching toward a …

Wordplay, blank signs, music: How is China voicing its dissent against the zero-COVID policy?
2 years, 1 month ago

Wordplay, blank signs, music: How is China voicing its dissent against the zero-COVID policy?

Firstpost  

On Sunday, protesters in multiple cities, including Beijing, held up blank A4-sized sheets of white paper in a show of solidarity and a nod to China’s lack of free speech. Here’s how many Chinese have attempted to evade censorship to demonstrate their anger and show support for protests: Blank signs Protesters in multiple cities, including Beijing on Sunday, held up …

Rise of the People: As COVID protests spread, a brief history of rare acts of dissent in China
2 years, 1 month ago

Rise of the People: As COVID protests spread, a brief history of rare acts of dissent in China

Firstpost  

In one of the most widespread dissent in decades, people in China have launched an agitation against strict COVID curbs. We have to find a way out.” After the deadly fire, hundreds of protesters also gathered outside Urumqi’s government offices calling for authorities to “lift lockdowns!”, reported NDTV. According to CNN, some agitators also rallied behind cries of “Don’t want …

China’s COVID-19 protests: What we know so far
2 years, 1 month ago

China’s COVID-19 protests: What we know so far

Al Jazeera  

People have gathered in at least eight cities across China in a sign of the growing frustration at Beijing’s zero-COVID strategy. Protests have emerged across China in recent days amid rising public frustration at the government’s zero-COVID strategy, which has led to repeated lockdowns and severe restrictions on daily life. “It is definitely unusual that you have so many different …

'Xi step down': Protests intensify in China over strict Covid lockdown
2 years, 1 month ago

'Xi step down': Protests intensify in China over strict Covid lockdown

India TV News  

Highlights Thousands of protesters turned out in Shanghai, where people were bundled into police cars Students were Snap lockdowns have caused anger across the country Protests against Chinese government's strict Covid measures have intensified with people taking to the streets against President Xi Jinping's harsh zero-Covid policy. Students were The latest unrest follows a protest in the remote north-west city …

COVID-19 protests in China hit Hong Kong after mainland rallies
2 years, 1 month ago

COVID-19 protests in China hit Hong Kong after mainland rallies

LA Times  

Students in Hong Kong chanted “oppose dictatorship” in a protest Monday of China’s COVID-19 rules after demonstrators on the mainland issued an unprecedented call for President Xi Jinping to resign in the biggest show of opposition to the ruling Communist Party in decades. Hiding their faces to avoid official retaliation, the students chanted, “No PCR tests but freedom!” and “Oppose …

Clashes in Shanghai as COVID protests flare across China
2 years, 1 month ago

Clashes in Shanghai as COVID protests flare across China

India Today  

Hundreds of demonstrators and police clashed in Shanghai on Sunday night as protests over China's stringent COVID restrictions flared for a third day and spread to several cities in the wake of a deadly fire in the country's far west. "Down with the Chinese Communist Party, down with Xi Jinping", one large group chanted in the early hours of Sunday, …

A timeline of Covid-related protests in China
2 years, 1 month ago

A timeline of Covid-related protests in China

New Indian Express  

And those frustrations have now spilt onto the streets of some of China's biggest cities as protesters call for an end to lockdowns and greater political freedoms. Campus protests In May, hundreds of students at one campus of the elite Peking University in Beijing protested against strict lockdown measures that allowed more freedom of movement for staff than students. Henan …

Police, Shanghai residents clash during Covid lockdown protests in China | Video
2 years, 1 month ago

Police, Shanghai residents clash during Covid lockdown protests in China | Video

India Today  

Police detained several Shanghai residents during a protest rally against country's stringent Covid control measures on Sunday. The protests have since flared up and spread to multiple cities including Wuhan, where the pandemic began nearly three years ago. Clashes erupted between demonstrators and police in Shanghai as protests over China's stringent COVID restrictions flared for the third day and spread …

China's biggest protests since 1989 signal the end of Xi Jinping's hopes to beat the virus
2 years, 1 month ago

China's biggest protests since 1989 signal the end of Xi Jinping's hopes to beat the virus

ABC  

By the standards of mass protests abroad or those that took place in Hong Kong three years ago, the numbers across Chinese cities in the past few days are small. There were shades of China's 1989 Tiananmen square protests, which was the last time protesters simultaneously rallied for reforms across different cities. 'People's War' against the virus Protesters in Beijing …

As protests erupt in China, the world is watching President Xi’s response
2 years, 1 month ago

As protests erupt in China, the world is watching President Xi’s response

The Independent  

The public anger on display during protests in Shanghai and other cities over the past week is on a level rarely seen in China in recent years. When the Chinese state under President Xi introduced its strict “zero Covid” plan to try to control Covid-19 after the virus emerged in the country almost three years ago, it is likely that …

Protests against Covid lockdowns intensify, protestors shout anti-Xi slogans
2 years, 1 month ago

Protests against Covid lockdowns intensify, protestors shout anti-Xi slogans

Deccan Chronicle  

Beijing: China's rare public protests opposing stringent COVID lockdowns turned political on Sunday with protestors shouting slogans against President Xi Jinping and the ruling Communist Party, as the demonstrations spread to the university campuses in Beijing and Nanjing. According to videos posted on social media about the protests in Shanghai, people were heard openly shouting slogans such as “Xi Jinping, …

China sees unprecedented protests against Covid curbs as cases rise
2 years, 1 month ago

China sees unprecedented protests against Covid curbs as cases rise

Hindustan Times  

Beijing: A blank sheet of white paper has become the unlikely symbol of defiance against the Chinese government’s controversial anti-Covid curbs with protests spreading to cities far and wide including to capital Beijing and the financial hub of Shanghai. Widespread protests against the “zero Covid” policy were also reported from university campuses across China, most notably from Beijing’s elite Tsinghua …

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