Chinese police out in force in bid to counter Covid lockdown protests

Barriers erected on street where demonstrations have been held against rigid policies against coronavirus

Chinese police have launched a show of force across the country in an effort to head off further protests against the government's rigid zero-Covid policies.

Since Friday, a wave of protests has spread across multiple cities, prompted by the death of 10 people in a building fire in Urumqi in Xinjiang. Much of the region had been under lockdown for more than three months, and people blamed the lockdown for the deaths.