Protests in China against government’s strict Covid measures have intensified, with some people publicly venting their anger at the Communist Party leaders.
Thousands of protesters have turned out in Shanghai, where the BBC has seen people bundled into police cars.
Students have also demonstrated at Universities in Beijing and Nanjing.
The latest unrest follows a protest in the remote north-west city of Urumqi, where lock-down rules were blamed after 10 people died in a tower block fire.
While Chinese authorities deny that Covid restrictions caused the deaths, officials in Urumqi did issue an unusual apology late on Friday and pledged to “restore order” by phasing out restrictions.
The protests are the latest in an accelerating series of demonstrations against China’s zero-Covid measures which have also become increasingly bolder in criticism of the government and President Xi.
The zero-Covid strategy is the last policy of its kind among the world’s major economies and is partly due to China’s relatively low vaccination levels and an effort to protect elderly people.
Snap lockdowns have caused anger across the country and Covid restrictions more broadly have trigged recent violent protests from Zhengzhou to Guangzhou.
In spite of the stringent measures, China’s case numbers this week hit all-time records since the pandemic began.
Bbc/Adebukola Aluko
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