Protestors urge China's President Xi to resign over Covid restrictions

Protests over China’s strict Covid measures have intensified, with some protesters calling on the country’s president to resign.

Thousands of protestors took to the streets of Shanghai, where people were heard openly shouting slogans such as "Xi Jinping, step down" and "Communist party, step down".

In China, any direct criticism of the government and the president can result in harsh penalties, and some people at the demonstration were seen being bundled into police cars.

The Shanghai protest follows unrest in the remote north-west city of Urumqi, where lockdown rules were blamed after 10 people died in a tower block fire.

China’s zero-Covid policy has led to further demonstrations across the country, triggering violent protests in Zhengzhou and Guangzhou, while students have also demonstrated at universities in Beijing and Nanjing.