Beijing: Protests against the stringent restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus infection have spread to the capital Beijing, even as China on Monday dismissed concerns related to it. Meanwhile, cases of infection are increasing rapidly in China and about 40,000 new cases were reported on Sunday. For the fifth consecutive day, Beijing reported nearly 4,000 coronavirus cases.
China's National Health Commission said that 39,452 new cases of infection were reported on Monday, including 36,304 local cases showing no symptoms of the disease. Meanwhile, the protests, which began in the eastern metropolis of Shanghai during the weekend, spread to Beijing, where hundreds of people gathered on Sunday evening near the Langmade River in the central city. People holding candles in memory of those killed in an apartment fire during the lockdown in Shanghai's Urumqi on Thursday shouted slogans against the arbitrary lockdown by the government and in solidarity with the demonstrations in Shanghai.
Protests at key places in Beijing
Several diplomats and foreigners watched the protests as they took place near the diplomatic residential complex in Beijing. Witnesses said the protests lasted for several hours and police detained several people. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian also defended the move to arrest a BBC journalist who covered the protests in Shanghai, saying the reporter had not revealed his identity as being from the media.
What the Foreign Ministry spokesman said
Responding to a question on the ongoing protests against the lockdown, Zhao said during the press conference, "What you have mentioned is not what has happened. "We are confident that with the leadership of the CPC and the support of the Chinese people, our fight against COVID-19 will be successful," the spokesman said.
"The BBC is deeply concerned about the treatment meted out to its journalist A. Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering protests in Shanghai," the BBC said in a statement in London. During his arrest, he was beaten up and kicked by the police. This happened when he was working as an accredited journalist."
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