Chinese authorities tightened controls in reaction to rare nationwide protests against the country’s zero-tolerance approach to Covid, dispatching phalanxes of police to prevent fresh gatherings as state media reiterated support for leader Xi Jinping‘s stringent pandemic strategy.
The demonstrations exploded in several large cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, during the weekend. They followed protests on Friday in Urumqi, capital of the remote region of Xinjiang, over a deadly fire the night before that officials said killed 10 people. Some residents suggested that pandemic restrictions contributed to a delay in putting out the fire.
