November 29, 2022
2 mins read

China: Police begins clampdown after days of protests

The weekend demonstrations, a rare sight in China, had grown after a fire in a high-rise block in Urumqi, western China, killed 10 people on November 24…reports Asian Lite News

China’s protests against Covid restrictions which erupted over the weekend appear to have died down, as authorities begin clamping down, the media reported.

A heavy police presence has been reported in several cities, and some gatherings were quelled or failed to materialise, reports the BBC.

Reports have emerged of people being questioned and their phones searched.

But overseas Chinese have continued protesting, in at least a dozen cities across the world.

The weekend demonstrations, a rare sight in China, had grown after a fire in a high-rise block in Urumqi, western China, killed 10 people on November 24.

It is widely believed residents could not escape the blaze because of Covid restrictions, but local authorities have disputed this.

As a result, thousands took to the streets for days, demanding an end to Covid lockdowns, with some even making rare calls for President Xi Jinping to stand down, the BBC reported.

Covid protests widen in China with calls for Xi Jinping to step down

But on Monday, planned protests in Beijing did not happen after officers surrounded the assembly point.

In Shanghai, large barriers were erected along the main protest route and police made several arrests.

On Tuesday morning, police could be seen in both cities patrolling areas where some groups on the Telegram social media app had suggested people should gather again.

Many also gathered outside Chinese embassies in major cities around the world like London, Paris and Tokyo, and universities in the US and Europe.

One expert suggested that local protests were not likely to die down any time soon, saying they were likely to “ebb and flow” because people were “not being called out to the streets in a controlled fashion… they move between social media and the street”.

But Drew Thompson, a visiting senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore, added that it was also important to note that Chinese police had “tremendous capacity… (and) the ability of China to control these protests going forward… is quite high”.

ALSO READ: ‘A4 Revolution’ grips China

Previous Story

Shehbaz thanks Bajwa for tackling Pakistan’s ‘crises’

Next Story

RIZWAN SAJAN: Boom Time in Dubai’s Real Estate Sector

Latest from -Top News

MIND Diet Shows Short-Term Gains for Cognition

The study enrolled 604 participants who were overweight, had a suboptimal diet, and a family history of Alzheimer’s disease The MIND diet, known for its emphasis on brain-healthy foods like whole grains,

Indian-American Takes Office as Head of NIH

Born in Kolkata, India, Dr. Bhattacharya earned both his BA and MA degrees in economics from Stanford University, followed by a doctorate in medicine and a PhD in economics from the same
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Hasina prefers India over China in $1b Teesta project

Hasina’s recent visit to China, from July 8-10, 2024, yielded

Commemorations mark 35th anniversary of Tiananmen Massacre

The massacre remains a pivotal moment in modern Chinese history