The Macomb Daily

More anti-COVID protests in China triggered by fire

- By Huizhong Wu and Dake Kang

>> Protests against China’s restrictiv­e COVID measures appeared to roil in a number of cities Saturday night, in displays of public defiance fanned by anger over a deadly fire in the western Xinjiang region.

Many protests could not be immediatel­y confirmed, but in Shanghai, police used pepper spray to stop around 300 protesters who had gathered at Middle Urumqi Road at midnight, bringing flowers, candles and signs reading “Urumqi, November 24, those who died rest in peace” to memorializ­e the 10 deaths

caused by a fire in an apartment building in Xinjiang’s capital city Urumqi.

A protester who gave only his family name, Zhao, said one of his friends

was beaten by police and two friends were pepper sprayed. He said police stomped his feet as he tried to stop them from taking his friend away. He lost his shoes in the process, and left the protest barefoot.

Zhao says protesters yelled slogans including “Xi Jinping, step down, Communist Party, step down,” “Unlock Xinjiang, unlock China,” “do not want PCR (tests), want freedom” and “press freedom.”

Around 100 police stood line by line, preventing some protesters from gathering or leaving, and buses carrying more police arrived later, Zhao said.

Another protester, who gave only his family name of Xu, said there was a larger crowd of thousands of demonstrat­ors, but that police stood in the road and let protesters pass on the sidewalk.

 ?? NG HAN GUAN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Residents line up for COVID-19tests in Beijing, Saturday.
NG HAN GUAN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Residents line up for COVID-19tests in Beijing, Saturday.

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