China's Xi faces public anger over draconian 'zero COVID'
Barely a month after granting himself a third five-year term as China's leader, Xi Jinping is facing a wave of public anger over his draconian “zero COVID" policy
SHANGHAI (AP) — Barely a month after granting himself new powers as China’s potential leader for life, Xi Jinping is facing a wave of public anger of the kind not seen for decades, sparked by his draconian “zero COVID” program that will soon enter its fourth year.
Demonstrators poured into the streets over the weekend in numerous cities including Shanghai and Beijing, chanting slogans and confronting police. A number of university campuses also experienced protests.
Such widespread demonstrations are unprecedented since the 1989 student-led pro-democracy movement centered on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square that was crushed with deadly force by the army.
Most people in the weekend protests focused their anger on rigid pandemic lockdowns , a form of virtual house arrest that can last for months and has been criticized as neither scientific nor effective.
