A report claims that China’s state broadcaster has been taking close-up photos of fans wearing masks at the football World Cup in protest against Covid-19 restrictions.
In a rare act of rebellion against the government’s “zero-Covid” policy, thousands took to the streets of China. The country placed millions under tight restrictions and conducted mass testing amid record numbers of infections.
AFP reported that CCTV, China’s state broadcaster, replaced close-up photos of the fans with images of officials or players during a live broadcast of Sunday’s match between Japan & Costa Rica.
CCTV Sports showed long shots of stadium crowds where it was difficult for individual faces to be clearly seen. Many Chinese have been frustrated by images of maskless spectators enjoying the World Cup in Qatar stadiums. They point out the differences between Beijing and the rest of the world.
China is the last major country to impose long quarantines and lockdowns on its citizens. Demonstrators called for President Xi Jinping’s resignation as protests continued in Beijing and Shanghai.
Despite widespread protests, Chinese authorities reaffirmed their commitment to a strict “zero-Covid” strategy.
