Mass protests continued in cities across China on Sunday in opposition to the country's strict COVID-19 lockdowns. The Washington Post reports protests erupted in Beijing, Shanghai, and other metropolises.
Tensions mounted last week following a deadly apartment fire in Urumqi, with The New York Times reporting at least 10 people died and nine more were injured. Many protesters blamed the deaths on China's COVID restrictions, which they say prevented people from leaving the apartment and also hampered the ability of rescue workers to reach those who were trapped.
The government, though, has pushed back against these assertions, further angering the protesters by claiming that the people in the apartment died because "their ability to rescue themselves was too weak."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As China continues to enforce its "zero-COVID" policy, residents in Shanghai were seen gathering in the streets and chanting for an end to the lockdowns, where the largest protests saw hundreds of people voicing their anger. In an unprecedented show of dissidence, some of the protests were even directed at Chinese President Xi Jinping himself, an almost never-seen occurrence in a country where opposition to Xi's authoritarian regime is heavily punished.
The Post reported that chants from the protesters included, "Xi Jinping, step down!" and "Communist Party, step down!"
While police officers eventually forced some protesters to disperse, it remains unlikely that Xi or any other Communist officials will relax the COVID-19 restrictions. The Communist Party's main newspaper has also called for Xi's policies to be upheld, per the Times.
-
6 lush homes in the treesFeature Featuring a glass house in Texas and a home built for a Broncos quarterback in Colorado
-
7 travel fragrances that let you smell good on the goThe Week Recommends Spritz away!
-
Third judge rejects DOJ's Epstein records requestSpeed Read Judge Richard Berman was the third and final federal judge to reject DOJ petitions to unseal Epstein-related grand jury material
-
Texas declares end to measles outbreakSpeed Read The vaccine-preventable disease is still spreading in neighboring states, Mexico and Canada
-
How China is battling the chikungunya virusUnder The Radar Thousands of cases of the debilitating disease have been found in the country
-
RFK Jr. shuts down mRNA vaccine funding at agencySpeed Read The decision canceled or modified 22 projects, primarily for work on vaccines and therapeutics for respiratory viruses
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year highSpeed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, changeSpeed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panelspeed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kidsSpeed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
China's soaring dementia ratesUnder The Radar Government launches action plan after cases in China increase 50% faster than global average
