“We want freedom” – Unprecedented wave of protests in China’s major cities

On Sunday night, protesters in Shanghai held up white sheets as a sign against censorship (see also video above). Already on Saturday evening, people took to the streets to express their displeasure. Initially, it was a wake for ten people who died in a high-rise fire in Ürümqi. But during the night this turned into protests.

Lockdown imposed for 100 days
Because the image spread on social networks that the building was partially locked and that many residents were therefore unable to leave in time. One of the longest lockdowns was previously imposed in Ürümqi: many of its four million residents are not allowed to leave their homes for up to 100 days. At a press conference, authorities denied that anti-corona measures had hindered escape and rescue efforts.

The anger at the authorities has already spread to other megacities. Demonstrations were also reported from Wuhan and Chengdu on Sunday. Early Monday morning (local time), at least a thousand people had gathered along one of Beijing’s main streets, chanting, “We don’t want masks, we want freedom.” We don’t want covid testing, we want freedom.” Initially, the protesters refused requests to break up their gathering.

‘Police arrested for no reason’
There was a heavy police presence in Shanghai on Sunday. There was a scuffle with security forces trying to disperse the crowd. “The people here are not violent, but the police arrest them for no reason,” says a 26-year-old. “They tried to arrest me, but the people around me grabbed my arms so tight and pulled me back so I could escape.” A Reuters witness saw police escorting protesters into a bus, which later sped through the crowd with several dozen people on board.

Videos in Shanghai showed people shouting, “Serve the people” or “We want freedom.” In the spring, the city with its 25 million inhabitants was strictly closed for two months. At that point, there had already been rare protests. “I’m here for freedom. Winter is coming. We need our freedom,” one protester told Reuters. “I’m here because I love my country, but I don’t love my government,” said another protester He wanted to be able to go out freely, but that was not possible. “Our Corona policy is a game and not based on science or reality.”

The Zero Covid policy is slowing the country down
China is pursuing a zero-Covid policy, which entails far-reaching lockdown measures. The increase in the number of infections makes it less likely that China will relax its strict policies in the short term. On Sunday, authorities reported nearly 40,000 new infections. The lockdowns and the global economic downturn are slowing down the second largest economy in the world. From January to October, industrial profits fell by three percent compared to the previous year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. The risk of recession in the global economy has increased and companies are under increasing pressure.

Given the rising corona figures, observers believe that China is at a dead end. The Health Commission justifies itself by stating that opening would cause many deaths. Doctors also warn that the health system would be hopelessly overwhelmed if the virus spread freely. But anger is growing among the population. The new Omicron variants, which spread more easily, are blamed for the rapid increase.

Never planned for the end of a pandemic
The government has also been criticized as it is clear that since late 2019 authorities have used most of their capacity for continued mass testing and lockdowns. Preparations for a way out of the pandemic were not sufficiently made. Vaccination coverage for the population is around 90 percent, but there are significant vaccination gaps among the elderly: only 40 percent of the over-80s have so far received two vaccinations and a booster.