Why China protests spread and how the regime in Beijing might respond

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. Authorities in Shanghai erected barricades on a street where demonstrators had gathered, as protests over the draconian “zero Covid” policy sweep the country. It came as Britain condemned the “shocking and unacceptable” arrest of a BBC journalist in Shanghai, while prime minister Rishi Sunak spoke of the challenge posed by China’s growing “authoritarian” behaviour. Yan Ya, a 29-year-old IT analyst in Shanghai, said: “When officials repeatedly get away with doing wrong things, making people suffer, then people will say at some stage, ‘we have had enough’. The first protests of the current wave began in the city on Friday with people singing: “Rise up, those who refuse to be slaves” – lyrics from the national anthem.