Fatigue due to strict confinement causes unprecedented protests against the regime in the streets of the main cities
The skyscraper fire with ten deaths was the straw that broke the camel’s back. It happened in the western region of Xinjiang, in the far west of China, where crowds on Friday night defied the tight confinement decreed by the government and took to the streets of Urumqi, the capital, to confront security forces and the emergency teams fighting the fire. Neighbors blamed the authorities for the deaths because they believed that residents were unable to escape in time because the building was partially closed due to anti-pandemic measures.
Local leaders were forced to urgently call a press conference at dawn this Saturday to deny that the covid measures have hindered the escape and rescue. They resorted to the tactic of blaming the victims, something that increased the anger of the people. Public confidence in the Administration simply sank further even though they said they would investigate further.
Xinjiang is home to ten million Uyghurs. Human rights groups and Western governments have long accused Beijing of abuses against this mainly Muslim ethnic minority, many of whose members face internment in forced labor camps. China strongly rejects these accusations.
Anger against the ‘covid zero’ policy is already taking the main cities to the cry of “End the confinement!” in the midst of massive marches that bring together citizens who walk with their fists in the air while, as could be seen in the numerous videos that circulated on social networks. In the recordings it was also possible to see hundreds of people gathered in a square while they sang the national anthem: “Get up those who refuse to be slaves!”
The regime keeps the vast region of Xinjiang under one of the longest lockdowns in the country. Many of Urumqi’s four million residents have been banned from leaving their homes for 100 days. The Beijing government defends the ‘zero covid’ policy as a necessary lifeline to avoid overwhelming the health system at a time when new records for coronavirus infections are being set every day. The growing public rejection and the negative repercussions in the second largest economy in the world do not seem to be contemplated by Xi Jinping.
Quarantines
Although the quarantines have been shortened and other specific measures have been taken, discontent among the population continues to grow. The new decisions have only added to the confusion and uncertainty, widespread in big cities, including the capital, where many residents remain holed up in their homes.
China registers 34,909 local cases a day, according to the latest count, a low level by world standards but a new negative mark nationally, with infections spreading across many regions, suffering from widespread lockdowns and restrictions on movement and business.
Shanghai, the most populous city and financial center in China, tightened again yesterday the requirements to access cultural places such as museums and libraries. It is now necessary to present a negative test taken within the last 48 hours, as opposed to the previous 72 hours. In Beijing, Chaoyang Park, popular with joggers and hikers, has closed again.
#fire #ten #deaths #fuels #anger #Chinas #covid #policy