China's top security body calls for "crackdowns" after protests

Enlarge image

Chinese security forces in Beijing

Photo: Ng Han Guan / dpa

China's highest security body has called for tough action against demonstrators in view of the protests against the corona lockdowns and for more political freedoms.

It is necessary "to crack down on infiltration and sabotage activities by enemy forces," the Communist Party's Central Political and Legal Affairs Committee said, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

The committee oversees all law enforcement in China.

He spoke of "enemy forces" and "criminal acts" against which action must now be taken.

In the country, numerous people have been protesting against the country's strict zero-Covid policy for a few days.

The protests were triggered by an apartment fire in the western city of Urumqi, which killed ten people.

Critics accuse the government that the strict corona measures would have hindered the rescue operation.

What began as a call for an end to pandemic policies quickly turned into a broader wave of protests expressing a desire for policy change.

In response to the protests, the government in Beijing has already massively increased the police presence in the major cities.

Journalists reported on Tuesday hundreds of patrol vehicles and officers on the streets of the capital Beijing and Shanghai.

Many protests planned for Monday evening did not materialize due to the police presence.

Participants in the weekend's rallies also reported receiving calls from police officers who questioned them about their activities.

asa/dpa