Videos show huge protests in China as Xi Jinping comes under pressure

Videos shared on social media show protests in China that erupted following the death of 10 people in an apartment fire, the latest sign of unrest in the country.

Huge protests have taken place in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region following the deaths, with protesters directing their anger at the country’s tough COVID-19 policies.

Crowds shouted “End the lockdown” in videos shared on social media Friday night as protesters appeared to link China’s zero COVID-19 policy to the loss of life in the blaze.

While authorities said those in the skyscraper were able to descend, Reuters reported on Saturday that videos shared on Chinese social media showing rescue efforts led many to believe residents were not able to get out because the building was partially locked.

The new protests will add pressure on Chinese President Xi Jinping following unrest among workers at Foxconn’s flagship iPhone factory that saw thousands quit.

This protest was partly fueled by China’s COVID-19 restrictions, and videos showing the Foxconn protests in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, quickly spread online.

The factory had been placed on lockdown following a COVID-19 outbreak in October and was due to go into partial lockdown from midnight Friday until midnight November 29 to curb rising infections.

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A massive protest took place in UlumuqiXinjiangChina after more than 100 days of the city being shut down without covid.

People are chanting stop the lockdown we are human beings pic.twitter.com/trQhDSZLXr

— Bad ucao (@badiucao) November 25, 2022

Images posted to Twitter by Chinese political cartoonist Badiucao showed a large chanting crowd gathering in Xinjiang’s capital, Urumqi, in China’s far northwest.

“People are chanting ‘stop confinement’ ‘we are human beings'” the designer wrote.

Other videos posted by Badiucao showed protesters waving a flag and apparently singing the Chinese national anthem. Another showed what the artist tweeted as “massive police forces with ‘大白 big white’ covid gear were dispatched to suppress Urumuqi’s anti-zero-covid protest.”

Protesters had shouted at guards wearing hazmat suits, according to Reuters.

Janis Mackey Frayer, NBC News’ Asia correspondent, shared footage of protesters chanting “end the lockdowns”.

Anger rises against #Chinait’s zero #Covid lockdowns after a tragic fire in #Urumqi killed 10 people (including children) in an area where many have been housebound for 3 months. Videos of protests (singing the end of lockdowns) circulated before censors took them down. @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/l1aOKNGeAw

— Janis Mackey Frayer (@janisfrayer) November 26, 2022

“Anger is mounting at #China’s #COVID zero lockdowns after a tragic fire in #Urumqi killed 10 people (including children) in an area where many have been confined to their homes for 3 months. Censors have them removed,” Frayer tweeted.

BBC China correspondent Stephen McDonell also shared a video on Twitter showing the protests in Xinjiang on Saturday morning.

Footage showed a crowd of people, some wearing face masks, and a man appearing to address the crowd using a megaphone.

#Xinjiang is the last region of #China for demonstrations calling for the end of #ZeroCovid blockages. There have been blockages there for months. After people were killed in a house fire, some claim residents weren’t allowed out quickly enough + firefighters were delayed getting in. pic.twitter.com/C7BGd7y4la

—Stephen McDonell (@StephenMcDonell) November 26, 2022

“#Xinjiang is the latest region in #China for protests demanding an end to #ZeroCovid lockdowns,” McDonell wrote. “There have been lockdowns there for months. After people died in a house fire, some claim residents weren’t allowed out quickly enough + firefighters were delayed for walk in.”

McDonell shared another video from Deutsche Welle correspondent Mathias Boelinger that showed protesters marching through the streets.

Andy Sharp, political and economic news editor at Nikkei Asia, pointed to the fact that Xi Jinping was elected in October for a third term as president. He will begin his new spell in March in a move that breaks with the country’s political norms.

“The protests seem to be spreading across China. This is not the start Xi would have wanted for his third term. The question is, how will the CCP now attempt to quash them?” Sharp tweeted.

Newsweek asked the Chinese government for comment.

Do you have a tip on a world news that Newsweek should cover? Do you have a question about the Chinese protests? Let us know via [email protected].

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