Students protest campus lockdown

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Students have staged a protest against a coronavirus lockdown at a university in eastern China as authorities across the country take baby steps away from their hardline zero-Covid policy.

Videos published on social media Tuesday and geolocated by AFP show a crowd of students at Nanjing Tech University on Monday night shouting demands to leave the campus.

"Your power is given to you by students, not by yourselves," one person can be heard shouting in the footage. "Serve the students!"

In the footage, the crowd can be seen arguing with university representatives and shouting for school leaders to step down.

"If you touch us you will become the second Foxconn!" one protester yells in reference to violent demonstrations last month in central China at a factory run by the Taiwanese tech giant that supplies Apple.

Other clips showed a police car arriving on the scene and university officials promising students they would compile their complaints.

A third-year student who asked to remain anonymous confirmed the protest took place, a day after the school announced it would seal off the campus for five days because of just one Covid case.

Chinese universities have restricted movement for months, with many requiring students to apply for permission to leave the campus and banning visitors.

The Nanjing Tech student told AFP her peers were unhappy about poor communication from the university and worried they would be blocked from traveling home for the winter holidays.