China protests: At the heart of the Zero Covid protests, young people are crying for freedom

A version of this story appeared on CNN’s newscast simultaneously in China, a thrice-weekly update that explores what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it is affecting the world. Register here.

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For the first time in decades, thousands of people have done so challenge the Chinese authorities To protest in universities and on the streets of big cities, demanding liberation not only from Ongoing Covid tests and lockdownsBut the Communist Party’s strict control and tight grip on all walks of life.

Across the country, “We Want Freedom” became a rallying cry for them wave of protests It is mainly led by the younger generation, some of whom are too young to have participated in previous acts of public opposition against the government.

“Give me liberty or give me death!” Crowds in the hundreds screamed in several cities, according to videos circulating on the Internet. In vigils to celebrate the death of at least 10 people in Fire in Xinjiang escalated to political rallies.

Videos circulating online appeared to suggest that China’s strict no-Covid policy initially prevented emergency workers from arriving on the scene, angering residents across the country who have endured three years of various Covid controls.

Some demonstrators chanted for freedom of speech, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and other political demands across cities from the eastern financial hub Shanghai to the capital Beijing, the southern city of Guangzhou and Chengdu in the west.

CNN verified the protests at 16 locations, with reports of other protests in dozens of other cities and universities across the country.

While protests in several parts of China appeared to have dispersed largely peacefully over the weekend, some B Stronger response from the authorities – And security has been tightened throughout the cities in a country where the authorities have far-reaching surveillance and security capabilities.

In Beijing, a heavy police presence emerged Monday evening, a day after protests broke out there. Police cars, many of them parked and their lights flashing, lined eerily quiet streets across the capital, including near Liangmaqiao in the central Chaoyang district, where a large crowd of protesters gathered Sunday night.

When asked Monday whether the “widespread display of anger and frustration” seen across the country might lead China to deviate from its anti-Covid approach, a State Department spokesperson dismissed the opposition’s suggestions.

“What you mentioned does not reflect what actually happened,” said WHO spokesperson Zhao Lijian, adding that authorities were “making adjustments” to their Covid policies based on “facts on the ground.”

“We believe that with the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people, our fight against Covid-19 will be successful,” he said.

In a symbolic protest against ever-tightening censorship, young demonstrators across China carried white papers — a euphemism for the countless critical publications, news articles and outspoken social media accounts that have been erased from the internet.

I believe that in a just society, no one should be criminalized for speaking. There should not be just one voice in our society, one protester in Beijing told CNN in the early hours of Monday as he walked down the city’s Third Ring Road with a thin stack of white A4 paper.

“I hope in the future I don’t hold a white paper of what I really want to express,” said the protester, who was not named by CNN due to concerns about the repercussions of speaking out.

Throughout the weekend, observers moved quickly to scrub videos and photos of the protests from the Chinese internet, though the stunning images made headlines around the world.

In comments online, Chinese state media did not mention the protests, instead focusing on the strengths of Beijing’s anti-Covid policies, stressing that they were “scientific and effective”.

But for many protesters, the demonstrations are much more than Covid – they bring together many liberal-minded young people whose attempts to speak out may be thwarted by strict internet censorship.

A Shanghainese in his 20s who took part in the candlelight vigil in the early hours of Sunday said they were greeted by other young people carrying white papers and flowers and chanting “I want freedom” as they walked towards the makeshift memorial.

“My friends and I experienced the Shanghai lockdown, and the ‘iron fist’ (of the state) rested upon all of us,” they told CNN. “That night, I felt I could finally do something.” I couldn’t sit still, I had to go.”

They quietly burst into tears in the crowd as chants for freedom rose up.

“In that moment, I felt I was not alone,” they said. “I realized I’m not the only one who thinks this way.”

In some cases, the protests have taken on a more defiant tone and have openly called for political change.

During the first night of demonstrations in Shanghai, the crowd shouted “Step down, Xi Jinping! Step down, Communist Party!” in an unprecedented direct challenge to the supreme leader. On Sunday evening, some demonstrators again chanted, calling for Xi’s dismissal.

In Chengdu, the protesters didn’t mention Xi, but their message was hard to miss. “Opposition to dictatorship!” Hundreds of people packed chants on the bustling riverbanks of a popular shopping and dining area on Sunday night, according to videos and a participant.

“We don’t want rulers for life. We don’t want emperors!” they shouted, a thinly veiled reference to the Chinese leader, who last month began a rule-breaking third presidential term.

According to the participant, the crowd also protested amendments to the party charter and state constitution – which enabled Xi to consolidate his hold on power and abolish presidential term limits.

As in Shanghai, the gathering began as a small candlelight vigil for the people killed in Thursday’s Urumqi fire.

But as more people gathered, the vigil turned into a higher arena for voicing political grievances.

“Everyone started chanting these slogans very naturally,” said the participant. “It is very rare for us to have such a large-scale gathering and demonstration. Words of mourning were not enough, and we had to shout some words we wanted to say.”

For her, the experience of stifling censorship inevitably nurtures a desire for “institutional and spiritual freedom,” and mourning for the victims and demanding democracy and freedom are two “inseparable” things.

“We all know the reason we continue to be subject to lockdowns and Covid tests is because this is a political movement rather than a scientific, rational response to pandemic prevention,” she said. “This is why we have more political demands than lifting the lockdown.”

The protester in Chengdu said she was encouraged by the wave of demonstrations sweeping the country.

“It turns out there are a lot of people wide awake,” she said. “I feel like I can see a glimmer of light coming forward.”