https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/28/china/china-lockdown-protests-covid-explainer-intl-hnk
China has moved quickly to suppress demonstrations that erupted across the country against the government’s zero-Covid policy on the weekend, deploying police forces at key protest sites and tightening online censorship.
On Tuesday, while defending the policy, top health officials appeared to acknowledge its impact and pledged to “reduce inconvenience” to the public by lifting lockdowns “as quickly as possible” following outbreaks.
However, it may not be enough to appease the protesters, who took to the streets of several major cities and university campuses to demand an end to the country’s increasingly costly lockdowns.
As numbers swelled, so too did the range of grievances aired, with some even calling for the removal of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who for nearly three years has overseen a strategy of mass-testing, lockdowns, enforced quarantine and digital tracking.
Here’s what we know.
The protests were triggered by a deadly fire last Thursday in Urumqi, the capital of the far western region of Xinjiang. The blaze killed at least 10 people and injured nine in an apartment building – leading to public fury after videos of the incident appeared to show lockdown measures had delayed firefighters from reaching the victims.
The city had been under lockdown for more than 100 days, with residents unable to leave the region and many forced to stay home.
Videos showed Urumqi residents marching to a government building and chanting for the end of lockdown on Friday. The following morning, the local government said it would lift the lockdown in stages – but did not provide a clear time frame or address the protests.
That failed to quell public anger and the protests rapidly spread beyond Xinjiang, with residents in cities and universities across China also taking to the streets.