China is seeing an unprecedented surge of rallies as protestors demand an end to the country’s harsh coronavirus policies.
As a British journalist was punched and kicked by authorities, protests against harsh COVID restrictions have intensified throughout China.
Demonstrators and police clashed in Shanghai on Sunday night, despite being forcibly evicted by policemen using pepper spray only a few hours earlier.
Helen-Ann Smith characterized the atmosphere in Shanghai this morning as “very, extremely tense,” adding that it is now unsafe to film near the main protest site owing to the presence of police.
She stated that she saw a person being “dragged away” from the location and was unaware of his crime.
It was the third night of pandemonium that had extended to several of the nation’s largest cities, including Wuhan, the first epicenter of the coronavirus nearly three years ago.
On Sunday night, the BBC reported that one of their employees, Ed Lawrence, was “beaten and kicked by police” while covering protests as a “qualified journalist.”
Social media footage showed him being taken to the ground in handcuffs, and in another clip, he was heard saying, “Call the consulate immediately.”
According to officials, Mr. Lawrence was imprisoned “for his own good” in case he contracted COVID from the crowd, although the BBC expressed “great concern” regarding his treatment and stated he was detained for several hours before being freed.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Mr. Lawrence did not identify himself as a journalist and that the BBC’s statement “does not reflect what occurred.”
Business Secretary Grant Shapps stated that there is “absolutely no excuse” for police beating journalists reporting protests.
As Downing Street stated, the detention of a BBC journalist in China was “shocking and intolerable.
The official spokeswoman for the Prime Minister stated, “The arrest of a journalist who was merely doing their job is appalling and unacceptable. “Journalists must be able to perform their duties without being intimidated.”
In addition, he asked the Chinese government to “respect those who choose to express their opinions about the current situation,” adding, “We will continue to raise our human rights concerns with the Chinese government at all levels as part of an open and productive relationship.
On Monday morning, they witnessed police arresting several individuals on the streets of Shanghai.
Meanwhile, protests against President Xi Jinping’s zero-COVID lockdown policy have moved beyond the Far East, with 100 to 300 individuals protesting in front of the Chinese Embassy in London.
A woman from the organization China Deviants told that they decided to protest President Xi’s administration because “the Chinese people are being repressed.”
She continued, “We have been oppressed for years, even decades, and we wish to see that change. We must stand against this dictatorial regime.”
She stated that, like many of her countrymen and countrywomen in China, their anger had bubbled over following a fire in the city of Urumqi on Thursday that killed at least ten people.
To China’s “zero-COVID” policy, the city has been under strict lockdowns for more than three months to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Videos on social media depicted an arc of water from a faraway fire engine falling short of the blaze, eliciting waves of angry online comments. It has not been confirmed that fire engines were halted by pandemic control barriers or stranded vehicles whose owners were placed in quarantine.
The woman, who hid her face for fear of retribution, stated, “It provoked to anger. We stand to advocate for such individuals. We support justice.”
China Deviants is a non-profit organization that encourages others to “resist authoritarianism” by joining them.
The group stated in a statement, “We are devoted to rousing the Chinese people against the tyrant, making both the Chinese people and the world community understand that an unelected administration cannot reflect the voice of the Chinese people.
We require democracy and liberty, and we oppose dictatorship.
As protesters returned to Shanghai, Amnesty International praised their “extraordinary courage.”
China maintains its strict zero-COVID policy even as the rest of the world attempts to coexist with coronavirus.
On Monday, the United States reported 40,347 new COVID-19 infections, including 36,525 cases without symptoms.
