Over the weekend, protests broke out in several Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Beijing.

The protests are considered unusual as they take place in many different cities at the same time.

In addition, many different groups in society have taken to the streets to criticize the central government.

According to Jonatan Heikenberg, the protests are not a matter for Westerners.

- It is probably more the Chinese people in Shanghai who have started to tire of the covid restrictions, he says.

Advised against visiting certain areas

At the same time, he has been advised against visiting certain areas.

- We have been advised not to go near the streets where the protests are taking place.

You don't really want to be there and show yourself among the cameras.

Who advises you to go there, is it the authorities or your job? 

- Both.

The company I work for advises against.

We're not supposed to be there.

It's not our "fight", we're here to do our job. 

Are you worried about the protests and what consequences they might have?  

- Absolutely not.

It's not a protest in that way, they just want to show their dissatisfaction with the covid situation, and the zero tolerance policy they have here, he says and continues:

- It is not possible to move around as you want when a lot of things are closed down.

These protests are after all about what happened in Ürümqi.

I think they must be allowed to show their displeasure.

"It's a problem"

The extensive restrictions also cause problems.

- It is a problem.

We must test ourselves at least three times a week.

We have to test ourselves to enter the offices, to buy food, to enter restaurants and so on.

Can you move as you want or does life feel compressed? 

- It's actually quite open.

Outdoors, you can move as you wish.

It's just restaurants, shopping malls, bars, cinemas, subways – all that must require a code you can only scan if you test yourself.

- The code is only valid for three days, so you have to test yourself all the time.

But traveling in and out of China is a bit more difficult.

There are tests more often, and different codes in the different provinces.