Protesting in an authoritarian regime is like a bullfight; protestors are standing against a seemingly insurmountable force and trying to change it. One side will end up destroyed.
Since October, a series of protests have occurred all across China with a gradual increase in severity. These protests were sparked by an activist named Peng Lifa, dubbed Bridge Man (in reference to Tiananmen square’s Tank Man) who protested China’s COVID-19 policies. He was last seen being put in a car by Chinese authorities.
China’s COVID-19 policies are a grueling system of lockdowns, quarantines, and testing that, while highly effective, has weakened the Chinese economy and hampered individual freedoms.
In November, protests in Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, and Ürümqi occurred. The protest in Ürümqi, in particular, is notable; the protest was sparked by an apartment complex fire that killed ten. Allegedly COVID-19 laws prevented those ten from escaping their apartments. This fire has sparked further protests all across the country.
As this is still a developing situation, it is hard to predict what path China will follow. All that can be said now is that China is a powderkeg ready to blow, and if it does, the world’s largest nation will change in a way not seen since the civil war in the 40s.