Students demonstrated against the confinement of their university in eastern China, according to videos released Tuesday (December 6th) on social networks in China, where many cities are gradually easing their zero Covid strategy after large demonstrations in late November.
These videos geolocated by AFP show a crowd of students from Nanking University of Technology demonstrating in order to be able to leave the campus.
“
You get your power from the students, not from yourselves
,” one participant shouted at a manager.
“
Be at the service of students!
".
A third-year student, wishing to remain anonymous, told AFP that the protest took place after the school announced that the campus would be sealed off for five days following the discovery of a positive case.
Confined universities
Many Chinese universities are locked down under the health policy.
Their students must apply to leave and visitors are prohibited.
Read alsoFaced with the revolt of the population, China changes its anti-Covid line
In the video, students are seen arguing with university officials.
“
If you touch us, it will become a new Foxconn here!
shouts a young person in reference to the violent demonstrations of workers last month in the Chinese factory of the Taiwanese giant, which manufactures iPhones for Apple.
If the time seems to be for a slow and very gradual reopening, the daily lives of hundreds of millions of people continue to be marked by constraints.
According to calculations by Nomura Bank, 53 cities, representing about a third of China's 1.4 billion people, were still enforcing some form of travel restrictions as of Monday.
Strengthening surveillance
Following the major demonstrations at the end of November in a dozen cities against the zero Covid policy, the authorities have reinforced the police presence and the surveillance of social networks.
During the rallies at the end of November, the demonstrators, mostly young, demanded the lifting of the restrictions which have affected their lives and their projects since 2020.
Several hundred or even thousands of students have since demonstrated on their campuses, from the prestigious Beijing University of Tsinghua to establishments in Xi'an (center), Canton (south) or Wuhan (center).
Read alsoChina has not been able to get out of “zero Covid” and is exposed to more than 1 million deaths
In parallel with the repressive component, the authorities have since relaxed certain restrictions.
The city of Beijing announced on Tuesday that office buildings and businesses, including supermarkets, will no longer require the presentation of a negative PCR test.
Several other major cities such as Shanghai or Hangzhou have also reduced their testing requirements.