Thousands take to the streets to protest ”zero-COVID” restrictions

In the years since the onset of the pandemic, president Xi of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)  has continued to take steps to consolidate a regime based on control. President Xi is using a “Zero-COVID” policy that utilizes harsh police state tactics such as economic lockdowns, phone based contact tracing, and creating a harsh “information state” in which the government can censor anything they so desire.

This controversial approach has led to recent events of civil unrest in many cities such as Shanghai, Ghangzhou, Wuhan, as well as the capitol. In an event that is being called the “trigger” to those by geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan A fire broke out in a building in the western city of Urumqi, killing 10. Many say that restrictions from the lockdowns prevented the fire department from effectively bringing the fire under control, as it took nearly three hours for them to put out the flames. The residents of Urumqi have been under strict lockdown for over 100 days, so this event was enough to trigger protests not just there, but all over the country. The CCP has made a continual effort to control its populace and its actions have come under increasing scrutiny on the world‘s stage with not only the west re-evaluating its relation but other local neighbors as well.

With the rest of the world having eased most COVID restrictions, the world is watching and waiting to see how the protests are handled by the Chinese government. Will they be violently repressed? Or will there be significant eases in these zero-COVID restrictions?