On November 23rd a fire broke out in Urumqi’s Jixiang Yuan district in an apartment complex. Because of the Chinese COVID lockdown, it is claimed the doors to the building were locked from the outside; people could not escape. Jennifer Zeng has been documenting the story on Twitter.
Fire trucks were not permitted to get close enough to the building and the people locked inside could not escape.
Chinese media initially said 10 people were killed; however, it was widely believed the death toll exceeds that number with a 3-year-old included. The current death toll stands at 44 victims.
This horrific event seems to have become the inflection point for a large uprising against the Chinese Communist Party and the continual COVID lockdown rules.
(MSM) “Now the episode in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region, has unleashed the most defiant eruption of public anger against the ruling Communist Party in years. In cities across China this weekend, thousands gathered with candles and flowers to mourn the fire’s victims. On campuses, students staged vigils, many holding up pieces of blank white paper in mute protest. In Shanghai, some residents even called for the Communist Party and its leader, Xi Jinping, to step down, a rare and bold challenge.”
For the past several days mass protests have been spreading throughout the populous region. Things are getting very spicy as the communist government does not accept civil disturbances as a right of protest.
SHANGHAI (AP) — Protesters angered by strict anti-virus measures called for China’s powerful leader to resign, an unprecedented rebuke as authorities in at least eight cities struggled to suppress demonstrations Sunday that represent a rare direct challenge to the ruling Communist Party.
Police using pepper spray drove away demonstrators in Shanghai who called for Xi Jinping to step down and an end to one-party rule, but hours later people rallied again in the same spot. Police again broke up the demonstration, and a reporter saw protesters under arrest being driven away in a bus.
The protests — which began Friday and have spread to cities including the capital, Beijing, and dozens of university campuses — are the most widespread show of opposition to the ruling party in decades.
In a video of the protest in Shanghai verified by The Associated Press, chants against Xi, the most powerful leader since at least the 1980s, and the Chinese Communist Party sounded loud and clear: “Xi Jinping! Step down! CCP! Step down!” (read more)
The CCP is also cracking down on western journalists who are reporting on the protests.
On Nov 23, when a fire broke out in #Urumqi , people’s doors were locked from outside. Fire truck couldn’t get closer either( see my previous tweet). The latest figure says 44 were burnt to death, including a 3 y/o kid. That’s one of the reasons for today’s protests. pic.twitter.com/s4E0JHk4wQ
— Jennifer Zeng 曾錚 (@jenniferzeng97) November 25, 2022
“End the #lockdown!”
Crowd shouting at King Pingxi’s Palace in #Beijing.#Covid #ZeroCovid #CCP #CCPChina pic.twitter.com/ICctHYKQel— Jennifer Zeng 曾錚 (@jenniferzeng97) November 27, 2022
Students at #Peking/#Beijing University (my alma mater!) also participated in the nationwide protests against the #CCP’s #Covid policy. pic.twitter.com/BFz4D7riya
— Jennifer Zeng 曾錚 (@jenniferzeng97) November 26, 2022
#BREAKING The streets of Beijing are still flooded with protestors.#FreeChina #sitongbridge #Chinese #ChinaUprising #chinalockdown #China_is_terrorist #ChinaLockdownThread #ChinaProtests #BREAKING_NEWS #ChinaRevolution #China #Wuhan pic.twitter.com/dLOdPtr3qn
— Peoples Eye (@eye_peoples) November 27, 2022
🔴SUIVI – #Chine : Une autre vidéo montre que le journaliste est emmené par des #policiers de #Shanghai alors qu’il dit à son ami “Appelle le consulat maintenant”. @BBCAsia #ChinaProtests #chinalockdown pic.twitter.com/OZRbbL3lnE
— FranceNews24 (@FranceNews24) November 27, 2022
