TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Scuffles broke out between Chinese police and a small crowd of Shanghai residents who resisted the forced takeover of their apartments by pandemic authorities on Thursday (April 14).
The Pudong District residents were notified earlier that day that several buildings within their complex would be cleared out and used as a COVID-19 quarantine site, according to a What’sonWeibo report. Video footage posted to Chinese social media platform Weibo showed police dressed in white hazmat suits clashing with locals.
Some were dragged kicking and screaming from the scene, while others were pinned to the pavement. In another instance, four officers surrounded one angry man from all sides and bundled him away from the entrance.
The footage soon went viral and triggered much debate on Weibo. Although the content was scrubbed by censors within hours of circulating, some netizens pushed back by reposting content marked with bright red scribble stating: “If you delete this, I’ll post again! I’ll just post again!”
Some other comments included:
“Is this really Shanghai?”
“Shanghai government, can you please be reasonable?!”
“How could Shanghai have changed into this?”
Netizens expressed anger not only at the way the lockdown was being enforced in Shanghai, but also at the censorship of issues raised by the city’s residents.
Disturbing: Chinese Police Take Protesters Hostage Amid Demonstrations Against Forced Quarantine
Protests broke out in Shanghai's Pudong neighborhood when authorities moved into residential buildings and turned them into quarantine zones. Weibo videos were quickly censored. pic.twitter.com/byGJCCJ4lJ
— The Censored Fox (@censoredfox) April 14, 2022
