China: Amid widespread protests against Zero Covid policy, Chinese govt launches major crackdown

As part of the government crackdown, students of several universities have been sent home. The search for people involved in the demonstrations has been intensified, while a large number of policemen have been deployed in major cities including the capital Beijing and major economic hub Shanghai Image Courtesy AFP

Beijing: Alarmed by the unprecedented demonstrations against the Covid-19 restrictions throughout China during the tenure of President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government is attempting to quell the protests with a ham handed approach.

As part of the government crackdown, students of several universities have been sent home. The search for people involved in the demonstrations has been intensified, while a large number of policemen have been deployed in major cities including the capital Beijing and major economic hub Shanghai.

Meanwhile, defying the government crackdown, the protesters have made Internet media such as dating apps and Telegram a platform for protests.

Heavy police presence in Beijing

Police have been deployed at every nook and corner of Beijing. Two people involved in last weekend’s demonstrations said they
were summoned by Beijing police with details of Sunday’s activities.

A student said that an explanation has been sought from the students present in the protest area.

“We are all desperately deleting our chat history,” a student was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.

Unrest over Zero Covid policy

People are angry that they are facing a lot of problems due to the Zero Covid policy that has been in force for almost three years now but has failed to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

Beijing’s Public Security Bureau did not comment on the issue. A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry only said that rights and freedoms must be exercised within the ambit of the law.

Students sent home after protests

Tsinghua University in the southern province of Guangdong sent students home after Sunday’s demonstration, according to news agency AP.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has also been an alumnus of this university. Some universities arranged buses to drop the students to the nearest station. Classes and examinations will be held online.

Indeed, university dormitories have been centers of political reform in China since the 1980s. In 1989, the Tiananmen Square movement in Beijing was also led by the students.

According to Dali Yang, an expert on Chinese politics at the University of Chicago, “by sending students home, the government wants to bring the situation under control.” Internet media users say that people are sharing videos and other material related to the demonstrations on foreign media platforms so that the Chinese authorities cannot delete them. According to Kevin Slaten, head of the China Dissent Monitor, run by the US-based non-profit Freedom House, “people are moving by looking at each other.”

Slogans against Xi Jinping

Around 10 people died in a fire in Urumqi last week. People had alleged that people surrounded by the fire lost their lives due to the Covid-19 restrictions. After this, the public anger flared up all over China. People came out on the streets and raised slogans of ousting the ruling Communist Party and President Xi Jinping.

It is alleged that the police took strict action against the protesters and beat up and detained a BBC journalist who was covering the case.

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