Police, Shanghai residents clash during Covid lockdown protests in China

Shanghai ,Nov 28 : Police detained several Shanghai residents during a protest rally against country’s stringent Covid control measures on Sunday. The protests have since flared up and spread to multiple cities including Wuhan, where the pandemic began nearly three years ago.

In a video shared by news agency Reuters, protesters were seen gathered in the streets of Shanghai and singing the national anthem. Police resorted to force and dragged protesters away from the site. Some were detained and released later.

“Free them!” residents were heard shouting as police officers dragged away protesters, Reuters reported. Heavy police deployment is in place on Wulumuqi Road where a candlelight vigil on Saturday turned into protests on Sunday.

The wave of civil disobedience is unprecedented in mainland China since President Xi Jinping assumed power a decade ago, as frustration mounts over his signature zero-Covid policy.

A fire on Thursday at a residential high-rise building in the city of Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang region, triggered protests after videos of the incident posted on social media led to accusations that lockdowns were a factor in the blaze that killed 10 people.

-The India Today