Protests in Shanghai aren’t slowing down

Over in Shanghai, protests in the Chinese financial hub aren’t slowing down. Authorities lifted the city’s two month lockdown for some neighborhoods earlier this month. But a number of them were shut down once again soon after. After health workers found new cases of COVID-19 locally, amid arrests and confrontations with police. Some protesters are now calling for democracy and freedom in the city. Here’s more.

In a neighborhood in the center of Shanghai, residents are protesting a second round of lockdown. The city’s earlier shutdown lasted two months and fueled widespread frustration. Many residents grappled with lost income, the loss of freedom, deaths of friends and family, and even hunger. But this neighborhood’s second lockdown appears to be the last straw for some. Residents there were spotted in a rare standoff with police. One man was arrested while video captured a crowd of residents showing solidarity with a detained man. The crowd question police officers about what basis they had to make the arrest.During his arrest, the detained resident pressed his hands together, a gesture of appreciation for those supporting him. While the police took him away, some residents shouted slogans like freedom and democracy to protest.

They arrest people without any basis. Looking at this green iron fence, so far nobody has ever told us the reason and regulations for it. And on top of that, they took that resident away.Police arrested two residents from the community, two more people who had recorded the incidents on video were missing as of Thursday. Some residents called on all Shanghai’s people to stand up and speak out. One resident stood outside the community’s gate, telling people that they could face the same problem if they keep silent. To protect his safety, we’re keeping him anonymous.

There will be no hope if none of us stand up now. Prisons can hold 10,000 people but not a million people.