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Anti-Covid lockdown protests flare across China after deadly Urumqi fire

  • Residents and students gather in major cities including Beijing and Shanghai reflecting growing public impatience
  • Authorities show little sign of relenting on the zero-Covid approach as case numbers and the personal toll mount

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Residents pay tribute in Shanghai on Saturday to victims of a recent deadly fire in Xinjiang. Photo: AP
Protests against China’s relentless pandemic controls broke out in Shanghai and other big cities as well as university campuses over the weekend, in a major test for the leadership of strongman Xi Jinping and his zero-Covid policy.

Open defiance is rare in China, especially directed at the central government and the ruling Communist Party.

The unusual display of frustration and public anger in many parts of the country came a month after Xi secured a rule-breaking third term at the party’s national congress, making him China’s most powerful leader since Deng Xiaoping.
The protests were largely sparked by a deadly residential fire in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang region, on Thursday, which killed 10 and injured nine.
Protesters gather in Shanghai on Sunday night, demanding the release of those detained for taking part in a demonstration earlier in the day. Photo: SCMP
Protesters gather in Shanghai on Sunday night, demanding the release of those detained for taking part in a demonstration earlier in the day. Photo: SCMP

The tragedy prompted widespread fury on the internet as many believed Covid restrictions prevented the victims from fleeing, claims that local officials rejected.

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