China protests COVID lockdowns after Xinjiang fire

Protests continue in China against tough COVID lockdown restrictions after a fatal apartment fire brought some people closer to breaking point.

Across the country, protesters took to the streets — a rare mass movement in China — and defied laws aimed at curbing the spread of COVID. Some appeared with blank white sheets of paper, instead of traditional protest signs, in criticism of censorship preventing citizens from speaking freely.

After the fire in Xinjiang kills at least 10, which critics say was due to lockdown measures that resulted in the building’s doors being locked, Sunday’s protests escalated. In major cities like Shanghai, protesters gathered to demand an end to the country’s ruling party and the resignation of the president. In clips circulating on social media, some protesters can be heard chanting repeatedly: “The Communist Party quits, Xi Jinping quits”.