China's top security body on Tuesday called for a "crackdown" on "hostile forces" after the country saw protests in major cities opposing Covid lockdowns and demanding greater political freedoms.
The ruling Communist Party's Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, which oversees all domestic law enforcement in China, said it was "necessary to crack down on infiltration and sabotage activities by hostile forces in accordance with the law," according to a readout of a meeting carried in state news agency Xinhua.
It also said it was crucial to "resolutely crack down on illegal criminal acts that disrupt social order in accordance with the law, and earnestly safeguard overall social stability."
China saw a weekend of protests not seen in decades as anger over unrelenting lockdowns fuelled deep-rooted frustration with its political system.
A deadly fire last week in Urumqi, the capital of the northwestern region of Xinjiang, was the catalyst for the outrage, with protesters taking to the streets in cities across China to pay tribute to the dead and call for an end to hardline Covid controls.
Some of the protesters have also used the rallies to call for greater freedom of expression and the resignation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping -- bold demands in a country where all organised political opposition is systematically crushed.
Security forces have already moved to quash repeat demonstrations since the weekend, with police out in force across China on Tuesday.
(Published 29 November 2022, 15:21 IST)
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