China’s Zero Tolerance for Xi’s COVID Restrictions

Something dramatic happened in China over the weekend: The people fought back.

Citizens frustrated by years of oppressive COVID-prevention controls erupted in protest across China. In the western metropolis of Chengdu; Guangzhou, in the country’s south; and Nanjing, in the east, protesters called for an end to the lockdowns that have paralyzed lives and livelihoods. In the capital, Beijing, they yelled, “We want freedom!” In Shanghai, protesters called for the resignation of China’s leader, Xi Jinping.

The outburst of discontent, rare in recent years, presents the biggest challenge to Xi’s power since his reign began a decade ago. The government touted Xi’s zero-COVID policy as a triumph of his stewardship and a mark of the superiority of China’s authoritarian system. Now the policy is breaking down under the weight of the excesses and abuses that