REVOLT Cantonese in southern China vigorously protested the decision to extend a lockdown, leading to clashes with local police
A Pekingese submits to a Covid test, Tuesday, November 15, 2022. — Mark Schiefelbein/AP/SIPA
the zero Covid health policy. Residents of Guangzhou, in southern China, confronted the forces of order after the extension of a confinement.
Since last month, part of the 18 million inhabitants of this great metropolis have been subject to travel restrictions, due to an epidemic rebound. Haizhu District, where inhabit approximately 1.8 million people, is the one that concentrates most of the positive cases. On Monday, the authorities decided to extend until’` Wednesday evening a confinement in force in most of the district.
““We don’t want any more tests”, chant the demonstrators
Videos released on Monday show hundreds of residents protesting in the streets. Some are tearing down the large plastic barriers that are used to confining buildings or neighborhoods. In other images, protesters attack officers in full white protective suits.
“We don’t want any more tests!”, chanted protesters as objects were thrown at the police. Demonstrations in China are less frequent than in the West and above all less publicized. But social networks have regularly echoed in recent months scenes of exasperation of the population in the face of the inflexible zero Covid policy.
Many Chinese complain about these unexpected restrictions, which in some cases cause food shortages and complicate access to care for confined people.