China Battles Civil Unrest As Protests Erupt In Wuhan With Shop-Owners Demanding Rent Cut

Shop owners in Wuhan - the origin point of Coronavirus pandemic have launched a protest demanding a decrease in rent. The protest took place in front of one of the biggest shopping malls in the region, Bloomberg has reported.

This is one of the first signs of unrest in the area since lockdown was lifted by the authorities.

The protesters sat in front of the mall while wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. They also held placards which read, “Exempt rental for a year, or refund the lease”, “Can’t Survive”. The protesters were later assaulted by the cops.

Photographs from the protest were uploaded on Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo but were quickly censored.

This protest comes days after clashes erupted in neighbouring Hubei and Jiangxi province between civilians and cops over a border closure district.