Locked and loaded

Rare protests have highlighted intense public frustration over Beijing's zero-Covid policy, with blank pieces of white paper becoming symbols of dissent. But wherever it leads, few envisage a serious challenge to Xi Jinping's authority.

- Helen Davidson and Verna Yu

An extraordinary wave of protests against the Chinese government's rigid zero-Covid policy spread across multiple cities last weekend, prompted by the death of 10 people in a building fire in Urumqi in Xinjiang. Much of the region had been under lockdown for more than three months, and people blamed the lockdown for the deaths.

Gatherings to protest or to mourn the victims were held in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and other major Chinese cities last Saturday and Sunday, as well as dozens of university campuses, with some police clashes and detentions in Shanghai.

On Monday, Chinese police launched a show of force in an effort to head off further demonstrations. Protesters demanded an end to lockdowns, while some groups decried censorship and called for democracy and an end to the rule of Xi Jinping. Most protests were peaceful, although there were some clashes with police in Shanghai, and protesters in Wuhan pushed over pandemic barriers.

On Monday evening, authorities appeared determined to ensure there was no repeat. In Shanghai and Beijing, police could be seen on Tuesday morning still patrolling areas of the cities where some groups on the Telegram social media app had suggested people should gather again. Their presence on Monday evening and throughout the night ensured no more gatherings took place.

There were reports of police asking people for their phones to check if they had virtual private networks (VPNs) and Telegram, which was used by weekend protesters. VPNs are illegal for most people in China, while Telegram is blocked from China's internet.