Once again, China has a COVID-19 problem, and leaders have instituted strict lockdowns across the country. Going by the video footage and reports emerging from the communist nation, the outcome will likely be strikingly different than it was last time.
That’s because the people of China are obviously fed up with being treated like animals. Instead of cowering in fear, they’re striking back in protest, and the situation is rapidly deteriorating across most of the country.
Twitter is banned in China, and taking into account that information coming out of the communist nation is tightly controlled, the rest of the world still might not have the complete story of what’s happening on the ground. However, the video footage released so far is n nothing short of jaw-dropping, as the Chinese Communist Party can typically crush a revolt quite rapidly.
“Protests are erupting across China as people have had enough of the draconian zero Covid lockdowns. This is what eventually happens when people power mobilises against oppressive governments that take away freedoms and human dignity,” political commentator James Melville tweeted.
China 🇨🇳
Protests are erupting across China as people have had enough of the draconian zero Covid lockdowns. This is what eventually happens when people power mobilises against oppressive governments that take away freedoms and human dignity. pic.twitter.com/NsZgZTxEYT
— James Melville (@JamesMelville) November 27, 2022
That video clip has been viewed over two million times since it was uploaded Sunday morning.
According to NPR, Chinese citizens are fighting back against China’s “war of annihilation” on COVID-19 after experiencing a new, record surge in recorded cases. The country has taken a hardline approach to quash the spread of the virus, which includes strict, extended lockdown periods, and stringent testing requirements to go on about their daily lives.
Residents in cities like Zhengzhou have already been instructed to stay home for at least a period of five days, with the only exceptions of leaving the house being grocery shopping and medicine pickup. Similar measures have been taken across most of the country, but such orders seem to fuel mass discourse.
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“Just in.#Chengdu ppl were walking peacefully on streets, chanting “ we don’t want Covid virus test. We want freedom”. The crowds gathered since around 8pm and continued till 2am at least local time. #ChinaProtests,” reporter Vivian Wu tweeted.
Just in.#Chengdu ppl were walking peacefully on streets, chanting “ we don’t want Covid virus test. We want freedom”. The crowds gathered since around 8pm and continued till 2am at least local time. #ChinaProtests pic.twitter.com/ptFjdjjOOE
— Vivian Wu (@vivianwubeijing) November 27, 2022
Bloomberg TV anchor Tom Mackenzie noted that not only is a mass protest in China rare, but such protests happening simultaneously, for the same reason, across the entirety of China, is “astounding.”
Protests in China are not rare. What *is* rare, are multiple protests over the same issue, at the same time, across the country. The protest below, apparently in central Beijing’s liangmaqiao, is astounding #China #protests pic.twitter.com/UHJCqqF1YG
— Tom Mackenzie (@TomMackenzieTV) November 27, 2022
Sunday morning, Reuters uploaded shocking video footage from the streets of downtown Shanghai, in which a large group of protesters appeared to be physically clashing with Chinese police officers.
A Reuters tweet showed the terrifying conditions Chinese citizens are having to live under:
WARNING: The following video contains footage that some readers may find disturbing
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
Video footage shows police in Shanghai carrying away a protester who was holding up a blank whiteboard in protest over China’s stringent COVID restrictions https://t.co/5Cch4K1PVq pic.twitter.com/kIUw18eS1v— Reuters (@Reuters) November 27, 2022
NPR noted that within a 24-hour period, positive COVID-19 cases rose by 31,444, which is the largest daily count since COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan in late 2019.
Of course, the last time large-scale protests erupted in China, an absolute worst-case scenario unfolded in what the world remembers as the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989. According to the BBC, while there was initial disagreement on handling the estimated 1,000,000 protesters at the famous landmark, hardline politicians ultimately won and declared martial law.
What happened next was a slaughter.
With the Chinese people being especially mindful of that nightmarish memory, their protests genuinely speak to the seriousness of the issue and the risks they’re willing to take to tell the government that they’re tired of being treated like caged lab rats.
