Zero-COVID protests break through the Great Firewall of China

Protesters in China are blaming zero-COVID policies for the deaths of 10 people in an apartment building in the city of Urumqi. Demonstrations erupted in dozens of cities around the country, including in Shanghai and the capital Beijing.

While protests do happen in China – despite the country’s reputation for absolute control – the way unrest spread online is remarkable given China’s internet firewall that censors dissent.

The Globe’s Asia Correspondent, James Griffiths is the author of The Great Firewall of China. He tells us how these protests are evading the censors, what the government is doing in response and what these demonstrations mean for zero-COVID policies in the country moving forward.

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