Police crackdown halts protests as infections mark new maximum for fifth consecutive day
The Chinese regime plays two simultaneous matches, one against the virus and the other against the public, and loses in both. The largest outbreak since the start of the pandemic coincides with an outbreak of the ‘covid zero’ policy, which has been stifling everyday life for more than two and a half years with no end in sight. Some paths that lead the country, seemingly without a cure, to a chaotic health and social crisis.
A large police deployment guarded the areas near Beijing’s Liangma River this afternoon. His menacing presence has prevented a repeat of last night’s historic demonstration day. Hundreds of young people took to the streets in the Chinese capital, as well as in many other cities, to express their fatigue in the face of a pandemic that, as it has not yet fully arrived, has not simply disappeared.
The crowd chanted the national anthem, with particular emphasis on the ‘qilai’ in the chorus: ‘Get up’. “Arise, those who refuse to be slaves,” the revolutionary text continues, in effect. “We don’t want PCRs, we want freedom!” Was one of the most repeated proclamations. However, those present were hesitant to direct their sharp criticism upwards. “We are not asking for anyone’s resignation,” they clarified in some groups.
For now, the protests are limiting their rejection of the “zero covid” policy and, except for a few minority votes, are refusing the anti-government label. However, the evolution of this type of movement is always uncertain, especially in the eyes of a totalitarian system obsessed with greater control since Xi Jinping came to power. Already honored as the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao, he dictates a re-ideologizing of society that accommodates fewer discordant notes than ever.
The demonstrators and their moderation matched the mobilized officers, who approached them docilely and, in another context, almost suggestively after midnight. “Come on, let’s all go home.” Faced with specific clashes, both sides tried to calm their respective hotheads.
This apathetic anguish left room for humor. Several young people carried blank sheets that seemed to confirm Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan’s statement – “the medium is the message” – in his intention to avoid a censorship that operates tirelessly in the shadows and destroys all digital traces of the protests knew. So much so that a paper company in Shanghai today announced the temporary suspension of sheet supply, turned into support for subversion.
Also humour. When a police officer chanted “No more quarantines!” ordered to stop, the crowd immediately demanded “More quarantines!”, a response that did not satisfy the prosecution, as there is no authoritarianism that understands irony. A student encouraged the security forces to withdraw to monitor life between Spain and Germany. The same proposal was launched to this correspondent by some agents after checking his passport – “But what are you doing here!” – but not before the absence of “Saierxiao Lamosi”, Sergio Ramos, on the list of called up to the World Cup.
The marches took place in Chaoyang District, the main district in Beijing, whose authorities have been asking residents over the past week not to leave their homes if not essential due to the rise in cases. Since then, a semi-confinement has prevailed in the Chinese capital, forcing the closure of offices, schools and all kinds of commercial premises. Only the supermarkets remain open and a large part of the purchases are shipped through the mediation of home delivery companies. Many of them sleep in the cool, despite the autumn cold, so as not to be bothered by the insulation of residential complexes, which are becoming more and more common. China today recorded a new daily maximum of positives for the fifth consecutive day, surpassing 40,000 for the first time.
In Shanghai, on the other hand, the atmosphere was very different, perhaps because it was the second concentration day. Police have made several arrests, including a BBC journalist who was handcuffed and assaulted. The British entity today issued a statement protesting, denouncing that the Chinese authorities “have not offered any explanation or apology” for what happened, “apart from the officials’ statement that the reporter was responsible for his had been detained for his own good. to avoid catching covid in the crowd. China’s Foreign Correspondents Club also released a note saying that “journalists from various media outlets were physically harassed by police while covering the riots” .
This tension demonstrates the historical relevance of these civil disobedience movements, unprecedented since the mobilizations that led to the massive protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and then also spread across the country. The tragic outcome, in which the Communist Party launched troops against the demonstrators, has marked recent Chinese history. However, the censorship has largely succeeded in erasing the memory from the collective memory.
A young man walking the streets of Beijing last night was nervous about the uncertain state of affairs, but at the same time expressed confidence in the authorities. “The police will never hurt us,” he assured, knowing in his ignorance that only previous games are lost in advance.
Source: La Verdad
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