Retirees in China hold rare protests against health insurance reforms

Demonstrators gather outside Zhongshan Park in Wuhan, China, to protest changes to medical benefits, on Wednesday, in this still image from social media video obtained by Reuters. (Social media via Reuters)

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Retirees have taken to the streets in two cities in China in recent days in rare protests against the most significant health care reforms in over two decades.

Largely older Chinese retirees turned out at least in the hundreds in the cities of Wuhan and Dalian, singing socialist anthems and even some shoving up against police, according to social media footage from the protests.