Chinese cities under heavy policing

Security services were out in force across China's major cities yesterday, which for the time being appeared to have quelled nationwide protests calling for political freedoms and an end to Covid lockdowns.

The country's leadership faced a weekend of protests not seen in decades as anger over unrelenting lockdowns fuelled deep-rooted frustration with its political system.

A deadly fire last week in Urumqi, the capital of the northwestern region of Xinjiang, was the catalyst for the outrage, with protesters taking to the streets in cities around China.

The demonstrators said Covid curbs were to blame for hampering rescue efforts, claims the government has denied as it accused "forces with ulterior motives" of linking the fire to the strict Covid controls. By yesterday evening, a heavy police presence of hundreds of officers appeared to have been drawn back from the streets of a rain-drenched Shanghai.