2022 COVID-19 protests in China

A series of protests against COVID-19 lockdowns began in mainland China in November 2022. Colloquially referred to as the White Paper Protests ( zh, s=白纸抗议, p=Bái zhǐ kàngyì) or the A4 Revolution ( zh, link=no, s=白纸革命, p=Bái zhǐ gémìng), the demonstrations started in response to measures taken by the Chinese government to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country, including implementing a zero-COVID policy. Discontent had grown since the beginning of the pandemic towards the policy, which confined many people to their homes for prolonged periods of time without work and left some unable to purchase or receive daily necessities.

The demonstrations had been preceded by the Beijing Sitong Bridge protest on 13 October, wherein pro-democracy banners were displayed by an unnamed individual and later seized by local authorities. The incident was subsequently censored by state media and led to a widespread crackdown behind the Great Firewall. Further small-scale protests inspired by the Sitong Bridge incident ensued in early November, before widespread civil unrest erupted following a 24 November building fire in Ürümqi that killed ten people, three months into a lockdown in Xinjiang. Protesters across the nation demanded the end of the government's zero-COVID policy and lockdowns.

The subjects in protest evolved throughout the course of the unrest, ranging from discontent with the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its general secretary Xi Jinping, to inhumane working conditions brought on by the lockdowns, and human rights abuses against ethnic Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The police had largely allowed such rallies to proceed, although officers had reportedly arrested several protesters in Shanghai. There had also been reports of protesters being beaten and showered with pepper spray before detainment. By early December, China pivoted away from many of its previous COVID restrictions by reducing testing, reducing lockdowns, and allowing people with mild infections to quarantine at home, effectively abandoning the zero-COVID policy.

Background

COVID-19 lockdowns in China

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, the Chinese government has made extensive use of lockdowns to manage outbreaks, in an effort to implement a zero-COVID policy. These lockdowns began with the lockdown of Wuhan in January 2020, and soon spread to other cities and municipalities, including Shanghai and Xinjiang. As these lockdowns became more widespread, they became lengthier and increasingly disruptive, precipitating increasing concern and dissent. In April 2022, the Chinese government imposed a lockdown in Shanghai, generating outrage on social media sites, such as Sina Weibo and WeChat. Citizens were displeased with the economic effects of the lockdown, such as food shortages and the inability to work. This discontent was exacerbated by reports of poor conditions in makeshift hospitals and harsh enforcement of quarantines. These complaints were difficult to suppress, despite the strict censorship of social media in China.

The spread of more infectious subvariants of the Omicron variant intensified these grievances. As these subvariants spread, public trust was eroded in the Chinese government's zero-COVID policy, indicating that lockdown strategies had become ineffective and unsustainable for the Chinese economy. Concessions and vacillation generated a further lack of confidence and support for the policy. On 11 November, the Chinese government announced new and detailed guidelines on COVID measures in an attempt to ease the zero-COVID policy. Enforcement by local governments varied widely: Shijiazhuang temporarily lifted most restrictions following the announcement, while other cities continued with strict restrictions, fearing the consequences of easing lockdowns. Following the rollout of the new guidelines, an outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in multiple regions of China.

Democracy movements of China

Various political movements for democracy have sprung up in opposition to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s one-party rule. The growing discontent with the Chinese government's response to COVID-19 has precipitated discussions of freedom and democracy in China and some calls for the resignation of Xi Jinping, who was endorsed for an unprecedented third term as CCP general secretary (the top position in China) weeks before the beginning of the widespread protests.

Sitong Bridge protest

On 13 October 2022, on the eve of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, a man hung two anti-lockdown and pro-democracy banners on the parapet of the in Beijing. The banners were swiftly removed by the local police, and mentions of it were censored from the Chinese Internet. Despite this, the news became widespread among the Chinese public. It later inspired the principal goals of the upcoming protests. By 26 November, the banners' slogans had been re-echoed by nationwide protesters.

Early protests

Lanzhou

On 2 November, the death of a 3-year-old boy to a gas leak in Lanzhou, reportedly after a delay in receiving treatment due to movement restrictions, had triggered a wave of public anger. Videos on social media showed residents taking to the streets demanding answers from authorities and buses containing SWAT teams arriving at the scene. Local authorities issued apologies the next day.

Guangzhou

As lockdowns returned to Guangzhou starting on 5 November, residents of Haizhu District marched in the streets on the night of 15 November, breaking through metal barriers and demanding an end to the lockdown. The Haizhu district is home to many migrant workers ( Mingong) from outside the province, who were unable to find work and unable to have sustainable incomes during lockdowns. In videos spread online, residents also criticized hour-long queues for COVID testing, an inability to purchase fresh and affordable produce, and a lack of local government support.

Zhengzhou Foxconn factory

In late October, Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn began preventing workers at its mega-factory in Zhengzhou from leaving the premises, concluding that this was the best way of fulfilling the government's dual mandate of preventing infections and maintaining economic activity. Nevertheless, some workers managed to scale barriers and flee to their homes, threatening the continued operation of the plant. In early November, videos spread of workers leaving the city by foot to return home in defiance of lockdown measures. In response, in mid-November, local governments around the country urged veterans and retired civil servants to sign up as replacement labor, promising bonuses. State media claimed that more than 100,000 people had signed up by 18 November.

On the night of 22–23 November, workers at a Foxconn factory clashed with security forces and police over poor pay and haphazard COVID restrictions. Workers articulated their demands in videos spread across Chinese social media, claiming that Foxconn had failed to provide promised bonuses and salary packages. According to one worker, new recruits were told by Foxconn that they would receive the bonuses in March and May 2023, long after the Chinese Lunar New Year, when money was needed the most. Protesters also accused Foxconn of neglecting to separate workers who had tested positive from others, all while preventing them from leaving the factory campus because of quarantine measures. Law enforcement was filmed beating workers with batons and metal rods, while workers threw objects back and overturned police vehicles. In response, Foxconn offered 10,000 yuan (approximately US$1,400) and a free ride home to workers who agreed to quit their jobs and leave the factory.

Chongqing

In Chongqing, a man was filmed giving a speech in his residential compound on 24 November, loudly proclaiming in Chinese, " Give me liberty or give me death!" to the cheers and applause of the crowd. When law enforcement officials attempted to arrest him, the crowd fought off the police and pulled him away, although he was ultimately still detained. The man was dubbed the "Chongqing superman-brother" () online. Quotes by him from the video were widely circulated despite censorship, such as, "there is only one disease in the world and that is being both poor and not having freedom ..we have now got both", referring to both the lockdown and high food prices.

Escalation: Ürümqi fire and reaction

On 24 November, a fire in a building in Ürümqi killed ten people and wounded nine in a residential area under lockdown. The Xinjiang region had already been in a strict lockdown for three months by that point. During this time, videos and images circulated on Chinese social media showed people unable to purchase basic necessities such as food and medicine. People accused the lockdown measures around the building for preventing firefighters from being able to reach the site in time, while others expressed anger at the government's response, which appeared to victim blame those who managed to escape the fire. All ten of the dead were Uyghur people, with five of them living in the same household.

On 25 November, a protest started in the Han-dominant Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps as residents took to the streets in direct response to a public beating committed by disease control personnel. A wave of protests soon started across the city, demanding an end to the harsh lockdown measures, with a crowd outside the city government building. The secretary-general was forced to make a public speech, promising an end to lockdown in "low-risk" areas by the next day.

26 November

By 26 November, protests and memorials in solidarity with the victims of the Ürümqi fire had spread to large Chinese cities such as Nanjing, Xi'an, and Shanghai.

Nanjing

On 26 November, in Nanjing, satirical posters against the zero-COVID policy were removed, and in protest, a student stood on the steps of the Communication University of China, Nanjing, holding a blank sheet of paper, until it was snatched from her. Subsequently, hundreds of students gathered on the steps with blank sheets of paper to hold a candlelight vigil for victims of the fire, using phone flashlights as stand-ins for candles and held up blank pieces of paper in reference to the censorship surrounding the event. A student participating in the rally, who stated he was from Xinjiang, spoke: "Before I felt I was a coward, but now at this moment I feel I can stand up. I speak for my home region, speak for those friends who lost relatives and kin in the fire disaster, and for the deceased". An unidentified man arrived to rebuke the protesting crowd, saying that "one day you'll pay for everything you did today", with students replying that "the state will also have to pay the price for what it has done".

Lanzhou

On 26 November, videos filmed protesters in Lanzhou destroying tents and booths for COVID-19 testing. Protesters alleged that they were put under lockdown despite there being zero positive cases in the area. Earlier in November, a case in Lanzhou had circulated on social media where a 3-year-old boy died before he could be taken to the hospital in time due to lockdown measures, sparking backlash and anger online.

Shanghai

The largest protest on 26 November appeared in Shanghai, as young people gathered on Ürümqi Middle Road (, officially "Wulumuqi Rd (M)"), in reference to the city where the fire took place. They lit candles and laid flowers in mourning for the victims of the fire. They also held pieces of blank paper over their faces or heads; white is the traditional colour of mourning in China. Videos showed chants openly criticizing CCP general secretary Xi Jinping's administration, with hundreds chanting "Step down, Xi Jinping! Step down, Communist Party!" Videos circulating on social media also showed the crowd facing police, chanting slogans such as "serve the people", "we want freedom", and "we don't want the Health Code". Some people sang the national anthem, "March of the Volunteers", during the protest. In the early morning hours, police suddenly surrounded the crowd and arrested several people. Police also used pepper spray and hand-to-hand violence to disperse the protesters and made arrests.

Chengdu

In Chengdu, crowds gathered in the streets and chanted, "We don't want lifelong rulers. We don't want emperors."

Xi'an

A mobile-lit vigil was also held at the , which attracted hundreds of demonstrators, according to posts circulated on social media.

Korla

A video emerged of hundreds gathered in the prefecture's government office in Korla, calling "Lift the lockdown!". Like the protesters in Ürümqi, many of those protesting in Korla were reported to be of Han ethnicity. An official came out and promised that lockdowns would be eased; he was welcomed by the crowd.

27 November

Shanghai

In Shanghai, the Associated Press saw some bystanders charged and tackled by police near an intersection where there had previously been protests, although the bystanders were not visibly expressing dissent. A protestor said police had tried to arrest him, but the crowd around him had pulled him free so he could escape.

On 27 November, BBC News journalist Edward Lawrence was assaulted by Shanghai police, and detained for several hours. Footage circulated on social media showed Lawrence being dragged to the ground in handcuffs. The responding authorities stated that they arrested him "for his own good" so that he would not catch COVID-19 from the crowd. The BBC News press team rebuked those claims as "not a credible explanation".

A photograph appeared to show police removing the Ürümqi Road's street sign later that night.

Beijing

At least 1,000 people gathered along Beijing's third ring road on 27 November to protest COVID restrictions. The Beijing people chanted, "We are all Shanghai people! We are all Xinjiang people!". Potentially due to proximity to political power in the nation's capital city, demonstrators in Beijing debated the use of explicitly political slogans, such as calling for Xi to step down, versus more narrowly opposing severe COVID controls, as well as whether to call it a protest or a simply a vigil. Participants discussed demands that the movement could agree upon, such as an apology for the Ürümqi fire, while others worried about police infiltration of marches, since some demonstrators had already received calls from local police.

On 27 November, students held a memorial at Tsinghua University in Beijing, contributing to student demonstrations taking place at over 50 university campuses throughout China. The protest began at 11:30 when some students held up signs outside the canteen and some hundreds joined them. They chanted "freedom will prevail" and sang "The Internationale". A female student from Tsinghua University said over a loudspeaker: "If because we are afraid of being arrested, we don't speak, I believe our people would be disappointed in us. As a Tsinghua student, I would regret this my whole life!"

At Peking University, graffiti and banners echoed those of the Sitong bridge protest, but demonstrators did not gather until midnight local time. By 02:00, there were between one and two hundred. They sang "The Internationale" and chanted hesitantly. "No to COVID tests, yes to freedom!" was one of the slogans.

Later that evening, some Beijing protesters gathered on both banks of the Liangma River, also singing "The Internationale" and "March of the Volunteers". One remarked "do not forget those who died in the Guizhou bus crash... do not forget freedom", referring to a September incident in which a bus taking locals to a COVID-19 quarantine center crashed, killing 27 people. In a confrontation between protesters and their opponents in Beijing, protesters were told not to be manipulated by foreign influences, with one protester replying, "by foreign influence do you mean Marx and Engels