Covid protests escalate in China’s Guangzhou, hazmat-suited riot police clash with demonstrators
China protest
Amid the ongoing protests across China against the country’s stringent zero Covid policy and restrictions, the situation escalated in the manufacturing hubGuangzhou’s Haizhu district where protesters clashed with the policelate Tuesday. Several videos, verified by Reuters, also show several people being detained by the police.
In one of the videos, dozens of hazmat-suited riot police were seen holding shields at the front as well as others holding them over their heads to create a barrier and march towards the protesters who were throwing things at them. Several lockdown barriers were seen broken as police moved past them.
Another clip showed demonstrators throwing things at the police. According to Reuters, a third clip showed canisters of tear gas being thrown at the police and landing in the middle of a small crowd in a narrow lane and people running away from the fumes. While the cause of this escalation remains unclear, Guangzhou is one of the hardest-hit cities with the latest wave of Covid-19 infections in China.
Over the weekend and on Monday, some major cities including Shanghai and Beijing witnessed thousands of protesters taking to the streets to express their anger and frustration over lockdowns, daily Covid tests and other restrictions in line with China’s zero-Covid policy.
Social media posts said the clashes took place on Tuesday night and were caused by a disagreement over pandemic-induced lockdown restrictions in the district. Furthermore, the report said that rows of people in handcuffs were seen being escorted to an undisclosed location.
Meanwhile, in a statement, the country’s Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission said it will crack down on the “hostile forces” for their activities of infiltration and sabotage in China, late Tuesday.
Due to the country’s heavy censorship, it is unclear how many cities witnessed protests. However, a United States government-funded Freedom House’s China Dissent Monitor estimates at least 27 demonstrations took place from Saturday to Monday across the country.
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