Why Are Protests Erupting Across China? Here's The Latest On The Government's Zero-Covid Policy And The Fire That Sparked Nationwide Dissent

At this point, there are very few, if any, mask and vaccine mandates in the US. People have moved on with their lives and realized that coronavirus isn't nearly as dangerous of a virus as the press and government made it out to be in 2020. While we're fortunate to move on from the pandemic, though, the same can't be said for Chinese citizens. There are thousands of people in China who are taking to the streets and refusing to accept the policies that are forced on them by authorities.

Apartment Fire Kills 10 People in Xinjiang and Sparks Protests

Chinese authorities are still doing their best to enforce a zero-Covid policy across the country. In the western region Xinjiang, an apartment block fire erupted a few days ago and killed at least 10 people. The area was under a strict Covid lockdown for over 100 days, leaving thousands of residents trapped in their home and apprehended by authorities if they dared to leave the region. Reportedly, the lockdown resulted in firefighters being delayed in their arrival at the fire, which caused even more unnecessary deaths. The fire also injured 9 people.

There is harrowing footage in which you can hear the screams of people burning in the apartment building. "Open the doors! Open the doors! Save us!" they yelled. There were multiple children inside.

This fire and the government's utter failure to respond to it in a timely fashion triggered a response from thousands of people across China, furious at the fact that they are still locked down after more than two years of a pandemic, with no end in sight. Videos from Urumqi, a city in Xinjiang, showed residents gathering in the street and chanting phrases like "want freedom" and "give me liberty or give me death!"

The day following the initial protests, local government officials announced that they would begin to reduce the lockdown requirement in phases, but they didn't offer a clear plan or even speak to the protests that were happening across Xinjiang. This is when the thousands of Chinese people around the country took to the streets to show their support for the citizens of Xinjiang.

Protests Have Erupted Across the Entire Country of China

According to CNN, there have been at least 20 verified demonstrations spanning across 15 cities in China, including the capital Beijing. Many have gathered for candlelight vigils, mass demonstrations, and even defiance against Chinese authorities. Some chanted phrases about freedom and human rights and others held up blank sheets of white paper, which was a symbol to protest censorship. Some people shouted for Chinese President Xi Jinping to step down and even sang a socialist anthem that was sung in Tiananmen Square in 1989 during pro-democracy demonstrations. Yesterday, dozens protested in Hong Kong's Central district.

It is very rare to see protests in the Communist country of China, where citizens' every move are tracked using high-tech surveillance and dissent is quickly wiped out. Apparently, surveillance in Xinjiang is particularly strict; this is the region where the government detained millions of Uyghurs, a Turkish ethnic group that has been specifically targeted and abused.

Multiple videos of the protests and riots have been circulating social media, showing just how desperate the people of China have become and how willing they are to defy authority. You can see the protestors physically pushing back against and attacking the officials, all of whom are dressed in all-white outfits that resemble hazmat suits.

A Chinese journalist shared footage from a subway in Shanghai, where the police are checking people's phones as a way to crack down on the nationwide uprising. They have also reportedly set up checkpoints where the police search through belongings to see if they're participating in the protests.

Chinese Protests Have Been Heavily Censored on Social Media

You would think that this kind of uprising would be international news that is covered by all outlets and social media platforms, but the footage of protests and riots has been heavily censored across the internet. Twitter account @ChinaUncensored shared a video and said that YouTube "once again censored our coverage."

Many claim that Twitter is the only platform that isn't actively censoring footage from the protests. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are reportedly removing videos that reveal the unrest in China, with no explanation.

Reportedly, in 2019, Apple took down an app from the App Store that allowed Hong Kong protestors to track the police. The company has also limited the use of the AirDrop feature in China that allowed the protestors to communicate with one another.

Many influencers are sharing photos and videos as much as possible in order to raise awareness about the human rights violations happening in China, and they're asking all social media users to do the same.