‘Xi Jingping!’, a protestor chants at the top of his voice, while others reciprocate with: ‘Step down’. It is one of the rarest sights in China when protests have emerged against the establishment. Under the current Chinese rule, dissent is tightly controlled and citizens have to face legal ramifications for criticizing the Communist Party of China (CPC). Such incidents have reportedly led to prison terms for many social activists and commentators in China. So what changed?
What is causing protests in China?
Last week, a devastating blaze in China’s western city of Urumqi left 10 people dead. The people in China blamed strict Covid-19 restrictions for the deaths. China is facing an unprecedented lockdown over raging Covid-19 cases.
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Public resentment seemed to peak on Friday when protestors came out chanting slogans against Xi Jinping and his Communist Party. Protests were also held in China’s Wuhan and Lanzhou areas.
As per international news wires, protestors vandalised Covid-19 testing Centres, while students also protested on China’s University campuses.
Several videos showing protests in China against alleged government highhandedness have surfaced on internet.
Last night, BBC reported that the largest protest was seen in China’s Shanghai at Wulumuqi Middle Road on Sunday.
In Beijing, large crowds of peaceful people gathered past midnight on Sunday on a city ring road, reported Reuters.
Sunday protests a sign of simmering discontent in China
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The deaths in Urumqi fire have given a push to the simmering discontent within Chinese people against Xi Jinping’s stringent policy of ‘might is right’.
There have been issues in China. The issues have been ranging from pollution, land grabs and high handedness of authorities towards people.
In videos of Shanghai protests, general anger of the public angst is evident. However, Xi Jinping has already launched a crackdown against the dissenters, proving that the government is watching.
Chinese police reportedly beat a BBC journalist in Shanghai, while briefly arresting him, the British broadcaster has reported.
China’s regime has also placed barriers in Shanghai, around a city centre, where hundreds of people protested over the weekend against stringent Covid-19, Reuters reported.
For now, it seems Xi Jinping’s regime is certainly under a pressure to combat Covid-19 resurgence and public protests in Mao Zedong’s land. While anger with the Covid-19 restrictions simmers, some expressed opposition to people taking to the streets.
