"Lift the Lockdown"... 'Zero COVID' Protest in Shenzhen, China

Unprecedented Large-Scale Protest... Clashes with Police Also Occur

A protest against the 'Zero (0) COVID' policy occurred in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. [Image source=Getty Images]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Amid China's adherence to its 'zero COVID' policy, protests erupted in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, against the stringent quarantine measures. Shenzhen, one of China's four major cities along with Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, witnessed consecutive protests that escalated into physical clashes with the police.

On the 28th, according to Hong Kong's Ming Pao and AFP, thousands of residents in parts of Shenzhen, including Sawei, expressed their dissatisfaction with the COVID-19 lockdown through protests.

Media reports indicated that videos capturing the protests were posted on Chinese social networking services (SNS) such as Weibo and WeChat. In the videos, residents shouted slogans like "Lift the lockdown!", "Give us freedom!", and "The police beat people." Some residents yelled at police and quarantine officers or threw water bottles at them.

The protest involved thousands of people, prompting the deployment of hundreds of police officers. While authorities tried to persuade the protesters, the police arrested some demonstrators, leading to the dispersal of the crowd.

Shenzhen, a metropolis with a population of 18 million, has had major areas locked down due to COVID-19 cases. Currently, at least 14 areas within three districts, including Futian District, are classified as high-risk zones and under lockdown, while another 15 areas are designated as medium-risk zones, restricting residents to movement only within their residential complexes.

Residents of Sawei and other areas, who have experienced six lockdowns so far, expressed their frustration, saying, "We really can't endure this anymore," according to media reports. Videos of merchants from Huaqiangbei, China's largest electronics market located in Shenzhen, protesting the lockdown were also posted. Huaqiangbei is China's largest electronics market, with an annual transaction volume of 200 billion yuan (approximately 39 trillion won).

Meanwhile, such large-scale protests appear to be a rare outburst of accumulated dissatisfaction with the high-intensity quarantine policies. Last month, when Sanya, a tourist destination in southern China’s Hainan Province, was suddenly locked down, trapping 80,000 tourists in Hainan, protests broke out on the streets. Additionally, during the two-month lockdown in Shanghai from April to May, residents held simultaneous pot-banging protests at midnight, demanding the supply of food and daily necessities.