Rallies were held in Japan last week in solidarity with the “white paper revolution” in mainland China—the largest wave of Chinese protests in three decades. The rallies joined a worldwide response to China’s draconian COVID measures, sparked by a tragic fire in late November.
On Nov. 24, the fatal apartment fire in Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, led to demonstrations in dozens of Chinese cities and at universities across the country.
Chinese state media reported that there were 10 deaths in the Urumqi fire, but social media reports claimed at least 44 victims. It was reported that fire engines were blocked from accessing the building by pandemic control barricades. Meanwhile, doors in the building were reportedly sealed with iron bars, leaving many residents with no way to escape….