The street protests against the Covid restrictions and against the "zero tolerance" of the authorities to avoid a new spread of infections do not subside in China.

The police intervened to quell the demonstrations and arrests were also made and there were also victims and injuries.

Among the people arrested "roughly" also an English journalist from the BBC, Ed Lawrence, an episode that triggered a diplomatic case .

A spokesman for the Beijing government claims that Lawrence would not have qualified as a reporter, but the British government today defined the actions of the Chinese police as "unacceptable and worrying" .

"Whatever happens, freedom of the press should be sacrosanct," said London Foreign Secretary Grant Shapps.

In these hours, the UN has also condemned the repression implemented by China, inviting Beijing to respect the right to demonstrate peacefully.

Meanwhile, also in light of the protests, the north-western Chinese province of Xinjiang , one of the areas where "zero tolerance" still applies, has relaxed several anti-Covid restrictions in the capital Urumqi .

Residents, some of whom have been confined to their homes for weeks, will be able to return to bus travel to shop in their neighborhoods.

(Unioneonline/lf)

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