BEIJING: Protests against China's sweeping anti-virus controls that have confined millions of people to their homes spread to Shanghai and other cities after complaints that they raised the death toll from a northwest apartment fire. increased. what might happen?

According to an eyewitness, Shanghai police used pepper spray on approximately 300 protesters. They gathered on Saturday night to mourn the death of at least ten people in an apartment fire in Xinjiang's northwestern region of Urumqi last week.

Videos posted on social media claimed to be of protesters from Nanjing in the east, Guangzhou in the south and at least five other cities showed police in white protective suits breaking down barricades used to seal off neighborhoods. Or appears to be breaking. Witnesses reported protests in Urumqi, but The Associated Press was unable to confirm details from other videos.

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President Xi Jinping's government is facing growing criticism for its "zero-COVID" policy, which restricted access to regions across China in an effort to isolate every case when other governments were in control Is. Resting and trying to live with the virus.

As a result, China's infection rate remains low compared to the United States and other countries. However, the ruling Communist Party is facing growing criticism over the economic and human costs of closing businesses and the isolation of families with limited access to food and medicine.

Some protesters can be seen in the video shouting for Xi to step down or the ruling party to step down.
Last month, party leaders promised to make restrictions less disruptive by easing quarantine and other rules, but remained committed to "zero-Covid".

Meanwhile, a surge in infections has pushed daily cases above 30,000 for the first time, prompting local authorities to impose restrictions that residents claim go beyond what is allowed by the national government.

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The deaths from the Urumqi fire sparked a wave of anger on social media, with people questioning whether it took firefighters three hours to extinguish the blaze or whether victims' attempts to escape were hindered by closed doors or other controls.

Officials denied it, but the disaster fueled public outrage over anti-disease restrictions, ruling party propaganda and censorship.
According to one participant, who would give only his family name Zhao, protesters in Shanghai gathered on central Urumqi Road at midnight with flowers, candles and signs that read "Urumqi, November 24, those who died rest in peace". Relax." to take a rest."

Zhao claimed that the police beat one of his friends and pepper-sprayed two others. He claimed that when he tried to prevent his friend from being removed, the police trampled his feet. He had forgotten his shoes and was walking around barefoot.

According to Zhao, the protesters chanted "Xi Jinping, step down, Communist Party, step down," "Unlock Xinjiang, unlock China," "PCR (do not want testing), want freedom" and "Press freedom". Slogan raised. raise slogans

According to Zhao, about 100 police officers stood in line to prevent protesters from gathering or leaving. He said buses carrying more police officers arrived later.

Another protester, Xu, who gave only his surname, said there was a large crowd of thousands of protesters, but police stood in the street and let them onto the sidewalk.

Internet users posted videos and accounts on Chinese and foreign social media showing protests in Shanghai, Nanjing, Chengdu, and Chongqing in the southwest, and Urumqi and Korla in Xinjiang.

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A video reportedly shot in Urumqi showed protesters chanting, "Out the Communist Party! Out Xi Jinping!"

The protests in Xinjiang are especially dangerous after security crackdowns on Uighurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic minorities, which have included mass detentions.

Most of the protesters in the video were from the Han ethnic group, the dominant ethnic group in China. According to a Uighur woman in Urumqi, Uyghurs are too afraid to go out on the streets.