Hundreds of Residents in Guangzhou's 'Corona Lockdown Area' Clash with Police

A security guard is conducting an inspection at the main gate of the Forbidden City in Beijing on the 13th (local time). [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] An unusual violent protest has been reported in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, which is under lockdown due to COVID-19.

On the 15th, major foreign media including AFP cited Chinese social networking services (SNS) to report this. In one video, hundreds of people in Guangzhou's Haizhu District were seen marching in the streets, pushing against barricades set up by the police.

AFP reported that "hundreds clashed with police in opposition to the quarantine policies," confirming the authenticity of the Haizhu District protest video posted on Chinese SNS the previous night. It also stated, "Hundreds who took to the streets broke down barricades installed in front of the locked-down area to prevent residents' movement," adding, "The protesters shouted 'Stop the testing!' and some threw debris from the barricades at the police."

Haizhu District has been under lockdown since the end of last month in Guangzhou, where new infections surged to 5,124 on the 14th. The protest occurred after it was announced that the lockdown in Haizhu District would be extended until the 16th.

Under the 'Zero COVID' policy, nearly three years of strict social control have increasingly fueled the anger of Chinese residents. Although Chinese authorities have eased some quarantine policies, such as shortening the isolation period for incoming travelers, lockdowns continue.

Guangzhou, with a population of 18 million, began mass testing in nine districts last week. However, recent reports on Chinese SNS indicate an increase in posts criticizing the government in Cantonese. Using the dialect instead of the standard language, they evade government censorship systems to express dissatisfaction with the stringent 'Zero COVID' policy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.