Residents of a district of Guangzhou, the megalopolis in southeastern China, took to the streets on Monday to protest against the Zero Covid policy and break down barriers. The population is subject to travel restrictions due to the resurgence of the epidemic.
From our correspondent in Beijing,
At first there are dull noises behind the cries of the crowd, like a drum. Then the impression of a rain of metal on the ground. These images and sounds of palisades collapsing under the blows of local residents have almost become commonplace in recent weeks in China. The videos circulating on social networks betray the anger of the inhabitants of the Haizhu district, and its 1.8 million inhabitants, who have been subject to movement restrictions since last month.
It is in this district where the most new cases of contamination have been reported in Canton. The people who live there are mainly itinerant poor workers. They can’t wait any longer. Five days ago, some attacked health workers and police in white protective suits.
Monday evening, the anger was visibly even more massive. Of the videos verified by AFP show hundreds of residents demonstrating in the streets. The culmination of weeks of tension, the fences did not last long, nor did the tent and table that serve as a checkpoint for health codes and temperatures at the entrance to the housing estate. “ Lift the lock! We don’t want any more tests! “, then chanted these demonstrators who earn their living with their arm and who are not paid when they do not show up at the factory.
Engine of “not even afraid”
” Around 8:45 p.m. Monday evening, Marissa tells the South China Morning Post, one or two people started shouting in a dialect other than Cantonese. About 10 to 15 minutes later, continues this resident, the whole area was overwhelmed with screams. And people started to gather, then they knocked down the corrugated iron fences and destroyed the checkpoint “. Add to that the shortages of supplies, repeated confinements and the inflation of food products that often occurs in such a situation, and you have there the engine of “not even afraid”.
” The situation was very tense, entrusts another witness to theReuters agency who resides about a kilometer from the clashes. Everyone locked themselves at home ». Images, for the rare blow in China, show a police car overturned by demonstrators.
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