Protests continue in China against strict COVID lockdown restrictions after a deadly apartment fire brought some people close to breaking point.
Across the country, demonstrators took to the streets — a rare mass movement in China — and defied laws designed to curb the spread of COVID-19. Some showed up with blank white sheets of paper instead of traditional protest signs as a criticism of censorship that restricts citizens from speaking freely.
Protests intensified on Sunday after a fire in Xinjiang left at least 10 people dead as critics say stay-at-home measures led to building doors being locked. In major cities such as Shanghai, protesters gathered to demand the end of the country’s ruling party and the president’s resignation. In clips circulating on social media, some protesters can be heard repeatedly chanting, “Down with the Communist Party, down with Xi Jinping.”
