Chinese Covid protests: Police crack down on backlash as crowds gather in cities

Chinese police are cracking down on protests that have spread across the country, with reports of arrests and people being forced to delete photos of the demonstrations.

Barriers were installed in central Shanghai on Monday to prevent further gatherings, after a wave of public protests in Chinese cities aimed at Covid-19 restrictions – and in some cases the Chinese government.

Crowds gathered in the capital, Beijing, on Sunday night and Monday morning as a rare outbreak of widespread public dissent continued. Protesters chanted “need freedom” and “want to work” – reflecting growing discontent at Covid restrictions that remain in China as the rest of the world has reopened.

Chinese protesters have also called for the ruling Communist Party and its leader, Xi Jinping, to step down.

Activists posted photos on social media of themselves holding blank sheets of paper in solidarity with the protests. Hashtags associated with the movement were blocked on Chinese social network, Weibo, on Sunday.

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Covid measures have confined millions of Chinese people to quarantines and forced the closure of many businesses.

The historic wave of protests in China began on Thursday after a fire in Xinjiang province killed 10 people, amid allegations that firefighters were hampered by Covid restrictions. Angry crowds targeted infrastructure for controlling the virus in the aftermath of the fire.

Demonstrations have since spread to several Chinese cities in a rare show of widespread defiance to the regime. At a demonstration in Shanghai, chants of “Xi Jinping, step down” were heard.

The president, who was recently returned for a third term in power, has faced little public criticism over almost nine years in power.

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