Students in Hong Kong this Monday chanted phrases of “opposition to the dictatorship” in a protest against China’s anti-covid health rules, similar to Chinese cities that have recorded the largest demonstrations against authorities in recent decades.
Demonstrations against restrictive measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 spread to several cities in China this weekend and authorities relaxed some rules today, but with no signs of backing down from their strategy.
With the heavy police presence, there were no reports of protests in Beijing or Shanghai today, but about 50 students chanted at Hong Kong University to show support for those demonstrating in mainland China against the restrictions, which have affected millions of people. have locked up. people home.
The students hid their faces to avoid reprisals and chanted, “No to PCR tests, yes to freedom,” and “resist dictatorship, don’t be slaves.”
University security filmed the event, but there was no sign of the police.
This demonstration and another, elsewhere in Hong Kong, were the largest protests in more than a year in the territory, under strict rules imposed to curb the pro-democracy movement in 2019.
“I’ve wanted to speak for a long time, but I haven’t had the chance,” said James Cai, a 29-year-old from Shanghai who took part in one of the protests in Hong Kong.
He held up a white piece of paper, a symbol of resistance to the ruling party’s widespread censorship. “If the people on the mainland can’t tolerate it anymore, then I can’t either,” he said.
Police cordoned off an area around demonstrators huddled in small, segregated groups to avoid breaking pandemic rules that prevent gatherings of more than 12 people.
Police collected information on the identity of the participants, but no arrests were made.
Hong Kong has tightened security controls since China launched a campaign to crack down on a pro-democracy movement in 2019. The territory has its own antivirus strategy that differs from that of the mainland.
Source: DN
