Biden “monitors” the demonstrations in China against COVID-19

The American President, Joe Biden“monitors” closely the demonstrations in Chinawho demand freedoms and the end of confinements due to covid-19, the White House reported on Monday.

The Chinese authorities tried this Monday to contain a movement of anger against the sanitary restrictions and in favor of more freedom. Crowds took to the streets of several cities on Sunday in what appears to be the largest mobilization since the heavily suppressed 1989 pro-democracy protests.

Look: Will citizen protests in China cause Xi to relax the Zero Covid policy?

“He is monitoring it. we all are. So yes, of course the president is aware” of what is happening, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, without specifying the reaction of Biden to the protesters’ demands.

“The president is not going to speak for the protesters around the world. They are speaking for themselves,” he added.

But he highlighted US support for the protesters’ rights.

“People must be allowed the right to assemble and peacefully protest against policies, laws or impositions with which they disagree,” Kirby said.

“We are following it closely, as expected,” he added.

On Monday the State Department suggested that the United States considers the covid confinement policies of China.

“We believe that it will be very difficult for the People’s Republic of China be able to contain this virus through its zero covid strategy,” a spokesperson for the department said.

Discontent has been brewing for months over the Chinese authorities’ tough measures to control the coronavirus, including lengthy quarantines, localized lockdowns and travel restrictions.

Protesters march in Beijing while holding blank papers during a protest sparked by a fire in Urumqi, China. (EFE/EPA/MARK R. CRISTINO). (MARK R. CRISTINO /)

Outside the country, speech communities China They also organized vigils to remember the lives lost by covid zero, such as those killed in a fire in the city of Urumqi, in the province of Xinjiang (northwest) this month. Many say that the confinement hampered the rescue efforts.

In Los Angeles, more than 100 people gathered in front of the consulate general of China on Sunday, some participants told AFP.

Michael Luo, a 25-year-old student, said there was “anger, sadness and a little bit of frustration”.

Meanwhile, in Washington, some 25 members of the Uyghur community gathered outside the State Department on Monday to call for more pressure on Beijing.

“We want them to issue a formal statement condemning the loss of life, Uyghur life, and to ask for full transparency about the actual number of deaths,” said Salih Hudayar, an American Uyghur.

Referring to the protests in ChinaHudayar told AFP he was “quite surprised that they were able to take to the streets and demonstrate, and at least express their anger.”

“As Uyghurs, we cannot do that,” he said. “We hope that the international community will support these protesters in holding the Chinese government to account,” she added.

Source: Elcomercio