Residents of Guangzhou, a major city in southern China, have clashed with police after the coronavirus lockdown was extended.
Since last month, some of the 18 million inhabitants of the metropolis have been subject to travel restrictions due to an outbreak. Most positive cases are concentrated in the Haizhu district, where about 1.8 million people live. On Monday, authorities decided to extend the lockdown in place in most of the district until Wednesday evening.
Videos posted online and verified by AFP show hundreds of residents protesting in the streets. In small groups, some break down the large plastic barriers used to enclose buildings or neighbourhoods. In other footage in Haizhu District, protesters attack officers in white protective suits.
“We don’t want any more tests!” protesters chant while some throw objects at police.
Demonstrations in China are less frequent than in the West, and they are given less publicity. But social networking sites have regularly expressed annoyance at the government’s rigid zero-tolerance policy.
That policy consists mainly of lockdowns as soon as a few cases occur, travel restrictions and PCR tests, sometimes almost daily.
Many Chinese are complaining about these unannounced lockdowns, which in some cases lead to food shortages and make it difficult for those affected to receive medical care.