Protests Spread in China

Protesters calling for freedom following the Urumqi deaths

Protests have erupted in several cities in China following the deaths of at least 10 people in a fire in Urumqi, Xinjiang. Video footage shows firefighters unable to get close to the fire because of Covid lockdowns, the water hose missing the fire by a metre or two.

The news hit people hard -- the tragedy may have put them over the edge with the accumulation of the endless lockdowns, being sealed in their homes, not enough food to eat, no access to medicine, the endless testing and mask-wearing.

People mourn at least 10 people died in Urumqi

So people spilled out onto the streets in Urumqi, Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai to mourn the dead, and the protests became more political, some people daring to call for President Xi Jinping to step down, and for democracy and human rights.

In a move reminiscent to the Hong Kong protests after the national security law was implemented, some protesters held up blank sheets of paper as having slogans on them would have been deemed illegal, people in China followed, also holding up blank pieces of paper.

Instead they shouted slogans like this:

"Give me liberty, or give me death!"

"We want to mourn our people, we want to mourn our citizens"

"Tear down the Great Firewall!"

"We want freedom, we want human rights!"

Protesters hold up blank paper like in HK

"Down with the Party! Down with Xi Jinping! Free Xinjiang!"

One young woman said: "If my fear of being blackened makes me fear the act of speaking out, I think of how much a disappointment I am. As a student of Tsinghua University, I will regret the cowardice for the rest of my life."

In a bid to prevent being shut down by the police, protesters would sing the Chinese national anthem. But there were protests shut down by the police, with some protesters arrested. 

In Shanghai, BBC journalist Edward Lawrence was filmed being beaten and arrested by the police. He was later released, but the reason for the initial arrest? The authorities said it was for his own good in case he caught Covid-19 from the crowd of protesters. 

BBC said: "We do not consider this a credible explanation."

Indeed.

Pro-Beijing supporters claimed Lawrence was proof that foreign forces were involved in the protests... 

How will Xi resolve these domestic protests?

Nevertheless, what is happening in China is extraordinary in terms of the scale and the demands people have.

But sadly nothing will come out of it -- there may be further lockdowns or the government may turn protesters' health codes red to prevent them from going out and gathering, or creating new laws. In some ways the protests echo what was happening in Hong Kong over three years ago, and one may expect the Chinese authoritarian response to be very similar.

However, today's young Chinese are savvy and may not be forced into submission so easily. They are going to find ways to circumvent control.

Xi has painted himself into a corner as China experts have predicted -- the economy is faltering, people are mentally exhausted and depressed, they are tired of zero-Covid and seeing the rest of the world open up and questioning why not them?

State media have even gone to great lengths not to show World Cup footage of maskless fans in the stands -- instead they focus on the players and the coach, otherwise very far views of the stadium. But it's too late. Everyone knows what's really happening outside of China.

How long will the frustration boil over and will it escalate? So far it has been relatively peaceful, but for how much longer...