Why are people in China protesting?
[[Protests::When a strong dislike or opposition to something is shown through various actions.]] are going on in China regarding the country's zero-Covid [[policy::A plan or an action by an organization or by a government.]]. As the number of protesters in major cities grew, some began to call for the removal of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Citizens have asked for Jinping's removal because mass testing, forced [[lockdown::An official order preventing the movement of people or vehicles, closing down shops, schools, offices, etc., due to an emergency situation.]] , and [[quarantine::A period of time during which a person with a disease is separated from others in order to prevent the disease from spreading.]] has been harming citizens' lives for nearly three years.
Protests began after at least ten people were killed and nine others were injured in a deadly fire in an apartment in Urumqi, in China's Xinjiang region. The public started showing anger after videos showed that lockdown measures delayed firefighters from reaching the victims in time.
Residents demanded that the lockdown be lifted and soon the protests quickly spread throughout China.
So, what is China’s zero Covid policy?
China has one of the world's toughest policies against Covid. Even if only a few Covid cases are discovered, lockdowns must be [[imposed::To force someone to follow a rule.]]. Patients with Covid are quarantined in government facilities or at home.
Everything is closed except emergency services (medicine shops, shops selling foods, etc.). The policy aims to keep the number of cases as low as possible.
People's earnings have been affected by all of the lockdowns. The [[unemployment::A situation where people are looking for jobs but are unable to find any.]] rate in the country is also rising. All of this has caused the citizens to protest.
What is the significance of the protests?
While there are protests in China, they are mostly against local officials. This one, however, targets the entire Chinese government.
After nearly three years of [[economic hardship::Difficulty faced by a person due to not having enough money to take care of themselves.]] and [[disruption::A situation in which it is difficult for something to proceed normally.]] to daily life, the Chinese public has had enough of China's zero Covid policy. So, the protests are going on.
How has the government responded to the protests?
While protests in many parts of China were handled peacefully, [[authorities::The people in an organisation who have the power to make decisions.]] in some cities reacted more forcefully. Protesters fought with police in some areas. In videos and photos, police can be seen pushing, dragging, and beating protesters.
The Chinese government's [[spokesperson::A person who speaks for a government, group, organisation, etc.]] did not comment on the ongoing protests. We hope that this issue in China gets resolved soon and peacefully.
Quick Revision
People in China are protesting the zero-Covid policy causing lockdowns and hardship.
Protests began after a fire in Urumqi killed 10 people due to lockdown delays.
The policy enforces strict lockdowns and quarantines for few cases.
Protests are rare as they target Xi Jinping and the government.
The government reacted with both peaceful and forceful actions.
