The statement offers a glimpse of the White House’s lackluster reaction to the protests. President Biden has received strong complaints for just saying that the United States supports the right of demonstrators to protest peacefully.
“Why is freedom so complicated for this management?Pure cowardice,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, wrote after White House officials refused to criticize Xi.
CHINA REPORTS RECORD NUMBER OF NEW DAILY CORONAVIRUS CASES ATBEIJING AND OTHER CITIES
CHINESE RESIDENTS CELEBRATE RELEASE OF COVID RESTRICTIONS
Protests against Xi’s “zero COVID” policy spread over the weekend after the chimney of an apartment in Xinjiang killed at least 10 people. Reports recommend that many of the dead have not been able to leave their apartments due to lockdown measures, which have noted that the government welded the doors locked.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in nearly a dozen cities to call for an end to the lockdowns. Some protesters went so far as to chant that Xi and the Chinese Communist Party are “resigning. “
The protests concern China’s efforts to quell dissent, with demonstrators holding blank sheets of paper to symbolize their inability to speak freely.
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Officers reportedly used pepper spray to disperse an initial demonstration in Shanghai, but began making temporary arrests when protesters returned. Authorities filled a bus with those arrested, according to the Toronto Sun.
Anders Hagstrom is a Fox News Digital reporter covering national politics and major news events. Send it to Anders. Hagstrom@Fox. com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.