Protesters in the Chinese city of Guangzhou clashed with riot police clad in white hazmat suits on Tuesday night, as unrest continues over the country’s strict lockdown rules.
The clashes - which follow protests in Shanghai, Beijing and elsewhere - erupted as China reports record numbers of Covid cases daily, and after a slight loosening of Covid restrictions in Guangzhou.
In one video posted on Twitter, dozens of police officers in all-white pandemic gear, holding shields over their heads, advanced in formation as objects flew at them.
Police were later seen escorting a row of people in handcuffs to an unknown location.
BREAKING : Stormtroopers in China's Guangzhou city clashing with the COVID protesters and arresting many of them. https://t.co/rg2MNsbFjd pic.twitter.com/d5KtdWd0NM
— Songpinganq (@songpinganq) November 29, 2022
Another video clip showed people throwing objects at the police, while a third showed a tear gas canister landing in the middle of a small crowd on a narrow street, with people then running to escape the fumes.
The videos have been verified as filmed in the Haizhu district of Guangzhou - a sprawling port city north of Hong Kong that is home to many migrant factory workers, and which has been hard-hit in the latest wave of Covid infections.
Social media posts said the clashes were sparked by a dispute over lockdown curbs.
Covid has spread in China despite the country isolating itself from the world and demanding significant sacrifices from hundreds of millions to comply with relentless testing and prolonged isolation, three years into the pandemic.
Protests have broken out across the country in recent days as citizens take to the streets to oppose the draconian zero-Covid policy, in the biggest wave of civil disobedience seen by the country since the 1989 Tiananmen protests.
The government of Guangzhou did not immediately respond to a request for comment following the footage of clashes.
Des habitants se révoltent contre les restrictions à Guangzhou en Chine dans le district de Haizhu. De nombreux policiers ont été déployés pour réprimer la contestation avec une utilisation de gaz lacrymogène #China #Chine pic.twitter.com/wjSPkgCVRa
— Anonyme Citoyen (@AnonymeCitoyen) November 29, 2022
Officials announced late on Tuesday they would allow close contacts of Covid cases to quarantine at home rather than being forced to go to shelters.
The decision broke with the usual practice under China’s zero-Covid policy. It came after national health officials said on Tuesday that China would respond to “urgent concerns” raised by the public and that Covid rules should be implemented more flexibly, according to each region’s conditions.
But while the easing of some measures appears to be an attempt to appease the public, authorities have reportedly begun seeking out those who have been at recent protests.
In a statement that did not refer directly to the protests, the Communist Party’s top body in charge of law enforcement agencies said late on Tuesday that China would resolutely crack down on “the infiltration and sabotage activities of hostile forces”.
The Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission also said “illegal and criminal acts that disrupt social order” would not be tolerated.
The British government has urged the Chinese authorities to “respect those who decide to express their views about the current situation”.
