Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives to a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022. Trudeau says everyone in China should be allowed to express themselves amid protests over severe anti-virus restrictions.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says everyone in China should be allowed to express themselves amid protests over severe COVID-19 restrictions.
Crowds in China angered by the controls have called on leader Xi Jinping to resign in the biggest show of public dissent in decades.
Authorities have eased some controls after demonstrations in at least eight mainland cities and Hong Kong.
But they showed no sign of backing off their larger “zero-COVID” strategy that has confined millions of people to their homes for months at a time.
Security forces have detained an unknown number of people and stepped up surveillance.
On his way into a cabinet meeting today, Trudeau said Canada will continue to ensure China knows that Ottawa will stand up for human rights and free expression.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 29, 2022. – With files from The Associated Press
