A video recorded in Shanghai has gone viral for showing residents screaming out of their windows after over a week of total COVID-19 lockdown.
Author and radio host Patrick Madrid posted the video on Twitter on April 8, claiming it was sent to him the day before by his friendās uncle. Several voices can be heard yelling out simultaneously from different locations.
What the?? This video taken yesterday in Shanghai, China, by the father of a close friend of mine. She verified its authenticity: People screaming out of their windows after a week of total lockdown, no leaving your apartment for any reason. pic.twitter.com/iHGOO8D8Cz
ā Patrick Madrid ✌🏼 (@patrickmadrid) April 9, 2022
The 1-minute, 29-second footage has since garnered over 7 million views and over 57,000 likes, as of this writing.Ā
Many online users in Shanghai described localsā desperation to leave, get food or walk their pets.Ā
My son and his partner have been stuck in their apartment for 10 days in Shanghai. Can’t even leave to walk their dogs. Food and water ran out today. Trying to order provisions, to no avail.Familys with children are desperate
ā Lorna Anne Mackie💙 (@Lorna0663) April 9, 2022
āMy son and his partner have been stuck in their apartment for 10 days in Shanghai,ā one user wrote. āCanāt even leave to walk their dogs. Food and water ran out today.āĀ
The viral post was also retweeted by popular conservative psychologist and academic Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, who blamed the situation on āleft wing authoritarianism.ā He cited a study comparing left-wing authoritarianism with right-wing authoritarianism.Ā Ā
Another commenter shared a video of local authorities in hazmat suits posting āsealsā to an apartment door. A CNN reporter based in Shanghai shared that residents would face ārepercussionsā if officials returned to their apartment and found the seal broken.
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Shanghai’s Xuhui District, considered one of the most developed districts, began to post seals to each household. Very anti-human and violating all of China’s own laws and the world’s basic human rights standards pic.twitter.com/JJk9Qt2feN
ā Inty (@__Inty__) April 10, 2022
In another video circulating on popular social media platform Weibo, residents are heard singing and protesting the lack of supplies. A drone is then seen ordering people to ācomply with COVID restrictionsā and ācontrol [their] soulās desire for freedom.āĀ
As seen on Weibo: Shanghai residents go to their balconies to sing & protest lack of supplies. A drone appears: āPlease comply w covid restrictions. Control your soulās desire for freedom. Do not open the window or sing.ā https://t.co/0ZTc8fznaV pic.twitter.com/pAnEGOlBIh
ā Alice Su (@aliceysu) April 6, 2022
Some Twitter users criticized Shanghai residents for not disobeying the mandate.Ā
āWho is physically stopping them [from] leaving their apartments⦠I donāt know who would have the [manpower] to stop all those people from leaving their homes,ā one user said.
Another user wrote in agreement, āBut it is also your own fault if people put up with [the mandate]. Weakness has its price.ā
The lockdown, which began on April 1, has received widespread criticism for being too strict, blocking 26 million residents from leaving for any reason.Ā
On Tuesday, however, some Shanghai residents were allowed to step foot outside of their homes as the city looked for temporary ways to ease the COVID-19 lockdown over concerns of its effect on the economy.