Apr 15, 2022 - World

Defiance of COVID lockdowns grows in China

Axios

A Shanghai resident, behind barriers sealing off an area under COVID lockdown. — A Shanghai resident behind barriers sealing off an area under COVID lockdown. Photo: Aly Song/Reuters

In a society that generally respects authority, Chinese citizens are rebelling against COVID lockdowns that have brought food shortages, family separations and lost wages, Reuters reports.

Driving the news: Videos on social media show citizens scuffling with health workers and screaming in anger from their apartment windows.

Arrests and detentions for COVID-related rule-breaking surged in March, according to a search on the Weibo social media platform for police statements, posts by state agencies and state media reports.

Most infractions involve citizens trying to skirt rules such as reporting travel on a health app, falsifying COVID test results, and sneaking out of locked-down neighborhoods.

Assaults on health workers also surged.

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Defiance of COVID lockdowns grows in China

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