Authorities in Guangzhou, China, clashed with riot police late Tuesday as they investigated more people participating in a string of protests against the world’s toughest Covid-19 restrictions.
The demonstrations, which escalated over the weekend and spread to Shanghai, Beijing and elsewhere, are one of the biggest public challenges since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012.
The southern city of Guangzhou was the latest city to announce the easing of restrictions on Wednesday, but with a record number of cases nationwide, a policy that Xi says has saved lives and proclaimed it as one, seems highly unlikely to be reversed. political achievements.
Officials announced the lifting of the curfew in parts of Guangzhou but made no mention of the protests, and the area of Tuesday’s violence remained under tight control.
In a video of these clashes posted on Twitter, dozens of riot police, dressed in white protective suits and holding shields over their heads, attacked over isolation barriers that appeared to collapse as objects flew over them.
Later, the police were seen accompanying a group of people in handcuffs.
Another video showed people throwing objects at police, and a third video showed a tear gas canister falling on a small crowd in a narrow street, causing people to flee to escape the smoke.
Reuters confirmed that the videos were shot in Guangzhou’s Haizhu district two weeks ago, but could not determine when the footage was taken or the exact sequence of events and what triggered the clashes.
Posts on social media said the clashes occurred on Tuesday night and stemmed from a disagreement over lockdown restrictions.
The Guangzhou government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The China Dissent Monitor, run by Freedom House, which is funded by the US government, estimates that at least 27 demonstrations took place across China from Saturday to Monday. Australian think tank ASPI estimates there were 43 protests in 22 cities.
In addition to easing restrictions in the city of Guangzhou in Zhengzhou, where there is a large Foxconn factory that produces iPhones, officials announced the “regular” resumption of businesses, including supermarkets, gyms and restaurants. .
However, they have also released a long list of buildings that will remain closed.
Hours before these announcements, national health officials said China would respond to “urgent concerns” expressed by the public and that Covid rules should be applied more flexibly, in line with conditions in the region.
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.