Fatigue from strict confinement is fueling unprecedented protests against the regime in the streets of major cities
The ten-death skyscraper fire was the straw that broke the camel’s back. It happened in the western region of Xinjiang, in the far west of China, where crowds on Friday night defied the strict confinement decreed by the government and took to the streets of Urumqi, the capital, to confront security forces and emergency teams. that fire. Neighbors blamed authorities for the deaths as they believed residents could not escape in time as the building was partially closed due to anti-pandemic measures.
Local leaders were forced to hold an emergency press conference at dawn this Saturday to deny that covid measures have hindered the escape and rescue. They resorted to the tactic of blaming the victims, something that increased the anger of the people. Public confidence in the government just plummeted even as they said they would investigate further.
Xinjiang is home to ten million Uighurs. Human rights groups and Western governments have long accused Beijing of abusing this primarily Muslim ethnic minority, many of whose members face internment in forced labor camps. China strongly denies these accusations.
Anger against the ‘covid zero’ policy is already leading major cities to shout “End the confinement!” amid mass marches that bring together citizens walking with their fists in the air, as seen in the countless videos circulating on social networks. The footage also showed hundreds of people gathering in a square singing the national anthem, “Rise up those who refuse to be slaves!”
The regime is keeping the vast region of Xinjiang under one of the country’s longest lockdowns. Many of Urumqi’s four million residents are not allowed to leave their homes for 100 days. The Beijing government is defending the ‘zero covid’ policy as a necessary lifeline to avoid overwhelming the health system at a time when new records for coronavirus infections are being set every day. The growing public rejection and the negative repercussions in the world’s second-largest economy do not seem to be contemplated by Xi Jinping.
Although quarantines have been shortened and other specific measures have been taken, discontent among the population continues to grow. The new decisions have only increased confusion and uncertainty, widespread in major cities, including the capital, where many residents are confined to their homes.
According to the latest tally, China is recording 34,909 local cases per day, a low level by world standards but a new negative figure nationally, with infections spreading across many regions, suffering from widespread lockdowns and restrictions on movement and business.
Shanghai, China’s most populous city and financial center, yesterday tightened requirements for access to cultural venues such as museums and libraries. It is now required to present a negative test taken in the last 48 hours as opposed to the previous 72 hours. In Beijing, Chaoyang Park, popular with joggers and walkers, has closed again.
Source: La Verdad
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