Protests broke out in at least two subdistricts in China’s southwest megacity Chongqing on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26.
China has recently seen massive protests across the country against the Chinese communist regime’s zero-COVID measures, triggered by growing angst from the prolonged lockdowns and further fueled by horrific deaths of at least 10 people, according to official reports, in an apartment fire in Xinjiang’s capital city of Urumqi in north-western China on Nov. 25. First responders were unable to reach those in the fire that burnt for around three hours due to COVID-19 blockades, with witnesses saying that residents were trapped in their building by locks throughout the residential compound.
Protests also broke out in Chongqing’s Jinlan subdistrict of Yubei District on Nov. 25. The city, which is home to around 16.34 million urban residents, had been in the process of further tightening its lockdown measures despite the communist regime’s newly released 20 guidelines to “optimize the prevention and control measures” of COVID-19.
Ms. Liang (pseudonym), a resident of Jingkou subdistrict of Shapingba District, told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times on Monday that residents started protesting when they found out the people conducting their COVID-19 tests were themselves infected with the novel coronavirus.
“Two COVID testing staffers came to the Jinlan subdistrict to take swab samples, but residents found out that these two staffers were positive for COVID because their health codes were red!” Liang said in the interview.
Residents then called the police. After the police came, the two staffers admitted they tested positive for COVID. But after they sat in the police car for a while, their red codes turned green, which sparked outrage and a protest by the residents, according to Liang.
Protesters Overturn PCR Testing Booths
Liang also said that Chongqing locals successfully drove away COVID testing staffers and police in another protest on the night of Nov. 26.Liang said that residents of the Beautiful Sunlight Homeland residential compound questioned the identity of two people dressed in hazmat suits taking a COVID swab collection.
“We asked them to present their credentials, but the two men refused to present any IDs. They took off their personal protective gear and tried to run away. They were soon caught by residents.”
Liang said that the police then came, trying to protect the two COVID testing staffers. More residents gathered at the entrance and they started to protest. In the process, residents expressed their fury at the regime’s mass testing practices, Liang said.
In a video clip obtained by The Epoch Times, during violent clashes between residents and police, a swab collection booth was overturned by the angry residents. Nucleic acid testing supplies, such as testing reagents, could be seen scattered on the ground.
Liang said that police and the two men fled in the end.
At the end of the video, people dressed in white hazmat suits are seen leaving the compound, and the residents applauded and cheered at the entrance of their residential complex.
Chongqing Resident Accuses Authorities of Faking PCR Results
“Many of us Chongqing residents have come to see that PCR testing is a tool for the authorities to fake COVID infections. We used to go voluntarily for the testing, but now we no longer go unless being forced to,” Mr. Li (pseudonym), a Chongqing resident, told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times on Nov. 28.Li likened the situation in Chongqing to a volcano that was about to erupt: “The authorities know that people throughout the country are more and more outraged with the COVID lockdowns. So they don’t allow police to go home, which makes the police complain as well.”
Li said that Chongqing residents have protested in various ways, including tearing down fencing, singing protesting songs, and demanding the lifting of isolation.
“If COVID policies continue like this, I think it won’t take long before the whole country bursts into protesting,” Li said, adding that residents won’t stop protesting as long as the COVID measures are not removed.
The top health body of Chongqing responded to residents’ queries about the PCR testing accuracy at a press conference on Nov. 28.
Li Pan, deputy director of the municipal health commission, said that all PCR testing processes are carried out in strict accordance with relevant working procedures.
According to Li Pan, the testing institutions must meet relevant medical qualification requirements before the municipal clinical laboratory center issues them a certificate of authorization. The health official then added that during the recent flare-up, the government health body had sent experts to guide these third-party testing laboratories.
“All samples have been tracked from entering the lab to the report of the results, and all processes have been carried out in strict accordance with the relevant working procedures,” he said at the press conference.
However, Li Pan also said that “special joint law enforcement inspections” will be carried out on the 16 third-party PCR testing agencies in the central urban area of Chongqing. He didn’t mention the timing of the joint inspections.
The Epoch Times reached out to the Jingkou subdistrict, Huixing subdistrict, and Jinlan Neighborhood Community for comment and didn’t receive any response as of press time.
