China - Public health threat as COVID-19 protests grow and spread - November 26+ freezing weather & heavy police presence

[Shiloh]

Please see:

China: Media - Ten dead in Urumqi residential block fire - COVID-19 restrictions being blamed as hampering evacuations, Xinjiang - November 25, 2022



Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/c...kdown-protests

China loosens some restrictions in Xinjiang after COVID-19 lockdown protests
World Nov 26, 2022 11:39 AM EST

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Authorities in China’s western Xinjiang region opened up some neighborhoods in the capital of Urumqi on Saturday after residents held extraordinary late-night demonstrations against the city’s draconian “zero-COVID” lockdown that had lasted more than three months.

The displays of public defiance were fanned by anger over a fire in an apartment compound that had killed 10, according to the official death toll, as emergency workers took three hours to extinguish the blaze — a delay many attributed to obstacles caused by anti-virus measures.

The demonstrations, as well as public anger online, are the latest signs of building frustration with China’s intense approach to controlling COVID-19. It’s the only major country in the world that still is fighting the pandemic through mass testing and lockdowns...

 

[sharon sanders]

FluTrackers.com
@FluTrackers
·
17h
China - There are media reports about COVID-19 lockdown protests in
several cities. FluTrackers can not independently verify these reports &
videos but we are aware of them.


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William Yang

@WilliamYang120
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8h
Incredible footage from #China’s #Shanghai, where countless people gathered at a road called “#Urumqi road,” chanting a slogan “Step down, the Communist Party” very loudly.


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Here are some site links to relevant threads:

China: Media - Ten dead in Urumqi residential block fire - COVID-19 restrictions being blamed as hampering evacuations, Xinjiang - November 25, 2022

China - Beijing COVID-19 outbreak - November 7+ .... 4 deaths reported

China - Hunan province implements the blue health code to restrict citizens movements & place them in monitoring status - November 25, 2022

China - NHC reports 32,943 new COVID-19 cases - November 24, 2022

China - COVID-19: Current Chongqing outbreak, November 21+

China: Guangzhou enhances anti-epidemic measures to curb 'most complex and severest outbreak in three years', Guangdong province - November 5+

China - Government reports 6 COVID-19 deaths in 5 days, all elderly patients over 80 years old - November 24, 2022

China - Zhengzhou: Foxconn, the world's largest electronics contractor, denies that 20,000 employees have tested positive for COVID-19, Henan province - October 30, 2022

China - Widespread COVID-19 fears: Many rural roads are closed without proper due process - November 23, 2022

China - There are 11 high risk COVID-19 areas now in Shanghai - November 21+

China - Tianjin: COVID-19 testing entire city of about 14 million people, "..the local epidemic situation in Tianjin is severe and complicated." - November 22, 2022

China’s Covid Curbs Return as Deaths Emerge, Casting Reopening Into Doubt

China - COVID-19: Shijiazhuang testing all employees and requires citizens to stay home for 5 days "in principle", Hebei province - November 20, 2022

........

China - So many COVID-19 outbreaks that it is difficult to document all of them - October 10, 2022

 

[sharon sanders]

Commentary: Has China reached breaking point over zero-Covid-19? - November 27, 2022

Commentary

Has China reached breaking point over zero-Covid-19?


NOV 27, 2022, 12:12 AM SGT
FacebookTwitter
BEIJING - Despite sitting in a locked down apartment in Beijing sheltered from the reality of a worsening national Covid-19 outbreak, I have a tingling feeling that something has turned in the past few days.

A fire in Urumqi on Thursday night that killed 10 people sparked a huge public outcry across the country not seen since the death of Dr Li Wenliang who, in the early days of the Wuhan outbreak, was silenced by the authorities for warning his colleagues of the emergence of the new coronavirus.

more...

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/are-people-at-breaking-point-over-china-s-covid-measures

 

[sharon sanders]

Video - Why China's COVID protesters hold up blank paper - November 27, 2022

In my experience these types of protests happen sporadically but mostly in the countryside when land has been redistributed or in front of banks that are having a problem. I have never seen several major cities erupt with protests against the ruling government party in the same time frame.

China will disappear these protestors into their hidden jail system if they do not stop. The government will go after their families too. These protestors are very brave. The only thing that will help them is for millions of people to go out into the streets. Millions.

 

[sharon sanders]

This is why the US government and various local/state governments gave up all COVID-19 restrictions. It is not because COVID-19 is not a threat. It is. It is just that the citizens will not support further restrictions and, smartly, the US gave up. We need to take responsibility for ourselves and our close ones.

Governments should exist to support the people, not the other way around.

Video - Why China's COVID protesters hold up blank paper - November 27, 2022

 

[etudiant]

Similarities to the current Iran situation, people revolting against an indefinite confinement, whether set by the Mullahs or by Covid matters not.

Given the weak economic outlook and the consequent unemployment problem especially among the young, people have less to lose by protesting.
Repression will simply alienate more young people, pushing them towards 'lying flat'..
That can't be the political outcome desired.
Particularly so as China is the world's predominant producer.of Fentanyl and related medications, seems vulnerable to a drug epidemic of unprecedented size if the people lose faith..

 

[sharon sanders]

Very brave people. They risk getting disappeared.

 

[sharon sanders]

Watching some more of the "reliable" videos from the COVID-19 protests in China. (What is reliable anyway these days?)

These protestors literally risk everything. I am afraid that there are not enough of them. The government can easily "take care of" the numbers that I am seeing. There needs to be millions in the streets to stop the government from employing their usual tactics. imho.



BBC News Press Team

@BBCNewsPR
BBC Statement on Ed Lawrence

ALT
5:52 PM · Nov 27, 2022·TweetDeck

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Leo Lord-Jones

@leolordjones
Just seen police dragging random people away from the crossroads where protests first started in Shanghai. All happening now
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10:34 PM · Nov 27, 2022·Twitter for iPhone
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Leo Lord-Jones

@leolordjones
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Police seemed to suddenly move in numbers to pick random people out from the crosswalk. Couldn’t see them do anything to prompt the police to arrest them
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Leo Lord-Jones

@leolordjones
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Police have put up high barriers on all the roads leading to the crossing. Could make things extremely dangerous if police decide to kettle protestors here
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[sharon sanders]

Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪

@XinqiSu
Some key events in the 70 days leading to 26 Nov: 18 Sep A bus transferring residents from Guiyang to QT camp crashed and killed 27 13 Oct A man put up large protest banners on Sitong Bridge in Beijing. He was taken away and no update of whereabouts since.
3:57 AM · Nov 27, 2022·Twitter for iPhone
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Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪

@XinqiSu
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@XinqiSu
24 Oct An mainland Chinese engineer working in HK was arrested for putting up posters supporting the Sitong Bridge man’s cause. He was released on police bail. Late October Workers fled Foxconn iPhone factory in Zhengzhou and walked miles to escape lockdown.
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Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪

@XinqiSu
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7 Nov A 55yo woman jumped from her home in a residential building in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. Her daughter watched her dying while no one opened the iron door set up for lockdown. 11 Nov State Council issued the “20 Articles” to improve covid control measures.
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Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪

@XinqiSu
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14 Nov Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan appeared unmasked as they landed in Bali for the G20 summit Mid November Protests erupted in Haizhu District, Guangzhou; 2 women appeared tied, gagged and put on knees after quarrels with the covid controllers.
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Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪

@XinqiSu
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24 Nov 10 people, including a 3yo child, died in a fire in a residential building in Urumqi, Xinjiang; A man, known as “super bro”, openly defied and criticised the covid lockdown in Chongqing.
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Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪

@XinqiSu
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25 Nov Urumqi gov put part of the blame on “weak self rescue capability” of the residents in a presser rounding up “lessons” from the deadly fire; Urumqi people took to streets for mourning and protests.

 

[sharon sanders]

I am creating this thread with copies of some posts made on this site in the last couple of days. China is the world's largest population and 2nd largest economy. Mass social unrest in China is a global concern and a public health threat in China.

 

[sharon sanders]

BBC News 中文

@bbcchinese
中国上海11月26至27日有群众到乌鲁木齐路聚集，悼念24日新疆乌鲁木齐大火死难者之后，首都北京27 日晚也有群众上街抗议，并持续至28日清晨。 人们高呼口号，谴责中国严格的防疫政策并呼吁自由。北京的抗议群众举起白纸和和空白横幅表达不满。这些空白 横幅被视为中国审查制度的象征。
Translated from Chinese by
From November 26 to 27 in Shanghai, China, crowds gathered on Urumqi Road to commemorate the victims of the fire in Urumqi, Xinjiang, on the 24th. After that, the capital Beijing also took to the streets to protest on the evening of the 27th, which lasted until the early morning of the 28th. People chanted slogans denouncing China's strict anti-epidemic policies and calling for freedom. Protesters in Beijing held up blank papers and banners to express their displeasure. The blank banners are seen as a symbol of censorship in China.




9:40 PM · Nov 27, 2022·Twitter Web App
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[sharon sanders]

Some scientists are worried about the health implications of huge crowded protests even if they are outside:

Kai Kupferschmidt

@kakape
This is currently the biggest worry for a lot of the researchers I talk to about #COVID19. Vaccination of elderly people is also worfully inadequate in China, meaning a big wave presents a huge risk for the health system.

 

[sharon sanders]

Apparently the current Urumqi COVID-19 situation goes back to August:


China - COVID-19: Partial lockdown of Urumqi after 27 cases found - August 10, 2022

China - COVID-19: Over 2,000 tourists still stranded in NW China's Xinjiang - August 14, 2022

China - Trains leaving Xinjiang suspended as region’s latest COVID-19 epidemic becomes most difficult major public health emergency in local history - October 5, 2022

China - "NHC officials said the epidemic situation nationwide is still severe and complicated...sticks to the dynamic zero-case policy." - October 13, 2022

 

[sharon sanders]

Edward Lawrence

@EP_Lawrence
·
1h
A statement from the BBC on what happened to me in Shanghai last night while doing my job. I understand at least one local national was arrested after trying to stop the police from beating me. Thanks very much for the kind words and messages of concern.

 

[sharon sanders]

LIVE UPDATES

UPDATED MON, NOV 28 2022
12:11 AM EST


Hong Kong stocks lead losses in Asia on China unrest, oil at lowest in 2022

Hong Kong stocks led losses in a negative Asia-Pacific session on Monday amid unrest in China over its continued zero-Covid policy. Oil futures hovered around new 2022 lows as demand concerns from the world’s second-largest consumer of oil weighed on prices.

The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong fell 1.98%, paring some of the losses after shedding 4% at the open. The Hang Seng Tech index fell 2.28%. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite fell 1.03% and the Shenzhen Component also fell 1%.

The offshore yuan weakened sharply against the dollar after ending last week around 7.20 per dollar. Futures of West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark for oil, dipped around 3% to the lowest levels since Dec. 2021.

more...

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/28/asia-markets-china-covid-currencies-stocks-oil-politics.html

 

[sharon sanders]

Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪

@XinqiSu
Interested to see whether and how local govs in mainland China will cast the latest #covid measures today. In light of 11.26 protest in Urumqi, these have been announced in Urumqi, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Chongqing: Urumqi - from 11.28 reopen public services closely related…
1:23 AM · Nov 28, 2022·Twitter for iPhone
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Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪

@XinqiSu
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…to people’s daily needs in low-risk areas , with a capacity cap on 50% - restaurants can provide takeaway but dine in service remains banned - cultural and recreational venues remain closed Guangzhou - from 11.28, 7 districts begin to allow residents to..
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Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪

@XinqiSu
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…undergo PCR test according to their own needs while 4 other districts of Haizhu, Panyu, Tianhe, Baiyun have rules unchanged - ppl who have been staying at home can skip PCR test - Guangzhou health authority vowed to “satisfy the wish to leave of people in risk areas…
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Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪

@XinqiSu
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…as much as possible” adding that nearly 10,000 people had that wish in Haizhu District alone. - ppl can be transferred to other parts of Guangzhou or other cities in a close loop manner if they have tested covid negative for 5 days, have a green health code and …
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Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪

@XinqiSu
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… their building does not have any new cases for 3 days. Beijing - confirmed in principle that a high risk area should be zoned by the unit of an apartment or a building; only when large scale untraceable infection happened and after strict assessment can zoning be expanded
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Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪

@XinqiSu
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- strict ban on using hard materials to block fire exit, apartment door and building gate - in principle temporary lockdown cannot exceed 24 hours - cannot reject ppl who have finished QT or have been discharged from hospital from entering residential complex and villages
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Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪

@XinqiSu
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- in Chaoyang District from noon of 11.26 to 8am on 11.27, 75 high risk areas were reopened Chongqing - situation here seemed to be a mix, 5 districts downgraded a total of 30 high risk areas but also 3 districts zoned 31 high risk areas (27 in Yubei District)
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[sharon sanders]

Also please see:

Urumqi City will introduce a package of "policy packages" to help enterprises and benefit the people
https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum...xinjiang-november-25-2022?p=963610#post963610

 

[sharon sanders]

BBC News 中文

@bbcchinese
2022年11月27日晚间，估计数百名示威者聚集在中国于伦敦的驻英大使馆外声援中国的反封控抗议。
Translated from Chinese by
On the evening of November 27, 2022, it is estimated that hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Chinese embassy in London to support China's anti-blockade protest.

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Edward Lawrence

@EP_Lawrence
·
57m
Wulumuqi Road, the sight of protests and clashes over the past few days, now fenced up. Heavy police and security presence. People who take photos are being stopped by police and forced to delete. Two people taken away for refusing to. #shanghai #china
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[sharon sanders]

Selina Wang

@selinawangtv
·
15h
Spoke to a protester last night in Beijing who said he motorcycled & biked more than an hour to get to the scene. I asked him how he was feeling: “Overwhelmed…All conscientious Chinese people should come here and stand together” Speaks volumes that he spoke to me maskless
@cnn

 

[sharon sanders]

China Covid: Police clamp down after days of protests

• Published
  3 hours ago

By Yvette Tan & Emily McGarvey
BBC News, Singapore and London

China's protests against Covid restrictions which erupted over the weekend appear to have died down, as authorities begin clamping down.

A heavy police presence has been reported in several cities, and some gatherings were quelled or failed to materialise.

Reports have emerged of people being questioned and their phones searched.

But overseas Chinese have continued protesting, in at least a dozen cities across the world.


more...

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-63785351