People in the Chinese manufacturing hub of Guangzhou clashed with white hazmat-suited riot police, videos shared widely on social media showed, as frustration with stringent Covid-19 rules boiled over.
The clashes in the southern city marked an escalation from protests in the Shanghai, capital Beijing and other cities over the weekend in China's biggest wave of civil disobedience since president Xi Jinping took power a decade ago.
In a video posted on Twitter, dozens of riot police in all-white pandemic gear, holding shields over their heads, advanced in formation over what appeared to be torn down lockdown barriers.
Social media posts also said the clashes took place on Tuesday night and were caused by a dispute over lockdown curbs.
Home to many migrant factory workers, Guangzhou is a sprawling port city north of Hong Kong in Guangdong province, where officials announced that they would allow close contacts of Covid cases to quarantine at home rather than being forced to go to shelters.
{{/usCountry}}Home to many migrant factory workers, Guangzhou is a sprawling port city north of Hong Kong in Guangdong province, where officials announced that they would allow close contacts of Covid cases to quarantine at home rather than being forced to go to shelters.
{{/usCountry}}The decision broke with the usual practice under China's zero-Covid policy.