From Shanghai to Beijing, protests have erupted across China in a rare wave of public outcry against the ruling Communist Party. This has been sparked by anger at the authorities' increasingly costly and soul-crushing zero tolerance policy. Police have flooded the streets in an attempt to quell opposition. There are hundreds of complaints that some protesters have been interrogated by the authorities by telephone after attending the rallies. There were also reports that police were grabbing protesters' mobile phones to check if they had social media and apps such as Telegram, posting images of the protests. One female protester told the French news agency that she and at least five of her friends who attended the protest had received phone calls from Beijing police asking for information about their movements. It is unclear how police discovered the identity of the protesters.
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However, in Beijing, hundreds of mostly young people braved freezing temperatures to gather near a riverbank in a vigil for the victims of a deadly apartment building fire in northwest China's Xinjiang region. It killed at least 10 people and seriously injured as many others. In civilian videos posted on social media, it appears that the authorities' lockdown checks in that area delayed firefighters from reaching the burning apartment building.
A piece of white paper has become the protesters' symbol. It was inspired by the 2020 protests in Hong Kong. Back when locals held white pieces of paper to protest against the city's draconian new national security laws. Today, according to Reuters, a 26-year-old student nicknamed Johnny, who is protesting in Beijing, said the white paper came to "represent everything we want to say but can't say."
As protesters in dozens of major cities grow, so does the scope of their demands, with some now speaking openly about democracy and freedom.
What makes the situation unique is that the protesters are in many cases also targeting Xi Jinping himself, a leader who only recently secured a new, third and therefore historic, term in power. Among the thousands of protesters, many are those even demanding the removal of the Chinese leader, who for almost three years has been leading the management of the pandemic with prolonged and widespread lockdowns, severe restrictions and digital surveillance of citizens. "Coronavirus management is, however, only one manifestation of China's leadership's overall commitment to control and security, which ultimately threatens the country's economic growth," writes Foreign Affairs' Stephen Roach.
Indeed, profits of industrial enterprises in China continued to decline in the first 10 months of the year, weighed down by coronavirus restrictions and falling factory gate prices, Bloomberg reports. In that time, the world's resilience seems to have run out. And while outbreaks within the Chinese border are rising, Beijing is insisting on a series of harsh restrictions that have only succeeded in "annihilating" the patience of a portion of its citizens. It is those who argue that the government is chasing an unattainable goal.
The arrest of a BBC journalist covering the protests has added fuel to the fire. Among other things, it provoked a stern reaction from the British Prime Minister himself. "It's shocking and unacceptable," said a spokesman for Rishi Shunak. A BBC spokesman also said the journalist was "beaten and battered by police" while working as an accredited journalist in the country. No explanation or apology was given by the Chinese authorities. The BBC claims that a Chinese public official said the journalist was "arrested for his own good, to avoid being infected (by SARS-CoV-2) in the midst of the crowd."
The unrest in the city of Zhengzhou, where Apple Inc. is likely to lead to a shortfall in production of six million iPhone Pro devices for this year alone. Authorities in the city have ordered a lockdown of six million people following an outbreak of cases. In response, hundreds of workers protested in front of the factory and were confronted by police officers armed with batons and wearing white protective uniforms. The problem, however, is not just limited to the Apple factory. The zero strike policy has caused economic hardship for much of the workforce, as the massive lockdown has slowed China's growth rate to 3.9% instead of the 5.5% predicted. Most major companies have cut their turnover, resulting in shortages even in cutting-edge Western companies such as Tesla that depend on Chinese exports of certain components, while fears are also being expressed about holiday shopping whether they will have a sufficient supply of Chinese toys and cheap ornaments in time. The income squeeze and the risk of unemployment is acting as a catalyst in spreading the wave of discontent.
For its part, the United States has expressed support for people's right to peaceful protest in China, a Washington official said.
Source: protothema.gr
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