Shanghai resident says Covid testing is a 'waste of time' as hundreds protests against Covid measures

Hundreds of people have taken to the streets of Shanghai in unprecedented protests against the Chinese Communist Party as the zero-Covid policy takes its toll. Footage from a resident's live stream on Wulumuqi Road in the Xuhui District shows protesting and chanting in opposition to the Covid measures. The filmer, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "There were students present, and people from various provinces in China were shouting 'Don't do Covid testing, be free, free the arrested people, end police violence. "There were also many crowds watching and after a while, the police began to use signals with jammers. "Many people cannot connect to the Internet, the government is trying to prevent the spread of public opinion, and some people have their necks pinned down by the police's legs." The filmer wanted to clarify that they were not a protester, saying: "I'm not a protester. I saw the news of the demonstrations in Shanghai on Twitter, so I decided to go and record the scene." When asked what they thought about the zero-Covid laws, they said: "The Covid-19 nucleic acid test is a waste of time." The protests have hit cities across China including Wuhan, Cheng Du and the capital Beijing. Video has circulated online of protesters clashing with police and even one BBC reporter being manhandled and arrested. The zero-Covid policy allows local authorities to impose strict lockdowns upon residents, even if cases are few. Businesses, schools and shops close and anybody testing positive has to isolate in a government facility. One tower block in the region of Xinjiang suffered a deadly fire with over 100 fatalities and many blamed the lockdown measures for its high death toll.