China’s Xinjiang region eases pandemic restrictions after lockdown protests

Authorities in China’s far western Xinjiang region opened up some neighborhoods in the capital, Urumqi, on Saturday in response to protests opposing the city’s prolonged COVID-19 lockdown.

The move came after displays of public defiance over a deadly Friday night fire in an apartment compound that killed 10. Emergency workers took three hours to extinguish the blaze, a delay many attributed to obstacles caused by anti-virus measures. Large crowds of protestors later shouted down hazmat-suited guards in defiance.

Authorities said the building’s residents were able to go downstairs, but videos of emergency crews’ efforts, shared on Chinese social media, led many internet users to surmise the residents couldn’t escape in time because the building was partially locked down.