Chinese riot police in white hazmat suits clashed with people in southern China’s Guangzhou city on Tuesday night, according to online videos seen by Reuters. In one Twitter video, dozens of riot police holding shields advanced in formation over what looked like torn-down lockdown barriers, while objects were thrown in their direction. Later, police were seen escorting people in handcuffs away from the site.
Another video showed people throwing objects at the police. Finally, a third video showed people running away after a tear gas canister landed among them and spewed fumes. The videos were filmed in Guangzhou’s Haizhu district, Reuters stated, but the news agency could not determine the sequence of events or what might have sparked the clashes.
Social media posts said the clashes were sparked over local lockdown restrictions, according to Reuters. Haizhu District was the site of a major protest in mid-November, when over 1,000 residents took to the streets in protest against prolonged local lockdown measures. They wanted greater access to food, essential supplies, and medical treatment.