Tanks on streets of China rekindles fears of Tiananmen Square

London: Several military tanks have rolled through the streets of China as Chinese officials ramp up their crackdown against demonstrators who are protesting against Xi Jinpings disastrous zero-Covid policy, sccording to a media report.

A video shows a steady stream of tanks trundling through the eastern city of Xuzhou on Monday night, Daily Mail reported.

The footage will rekindle memories of the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989, when hundreds – if not thousands – of Chinese protesters were killed by soldiers in tanks, the report said.

Xi Jinping’s Communist Party officials have ramped up their crackdown on demonstrators, with police officers seen wrestling with protesters before dragging them away.

A dramatic video shows a woman screaming as she is arrested by six police officers and dragged away from a main square in Hangzhou, as Chinese officials sought to crack down on protesters in the city.

A man is seen trying to stop the police from arresting the woman by shouting at them, but two officials were seen running at the protester and screaming at him to get back, Daily Mail reported.

Footage also shows a huge crowd of protesters trying to stop a group of police officers from arresting two men in Hangzhou. But the officers were seen wrestling with the protesters and dragging the two demonstrators away while holding the scruff of their collars.

While police officers were dragging protesters away on Monday night, military tanks rolled through the streets of Xuzhou.

Locals questioned whether the tanks were heading to Shanghai, but others said it was possible the tanks were merely returning from military manoeuvres.

Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets since the weekend in protest against China’s harsh zero-Covid policy.

They mark the largest anti-government demonstrations China has seen since the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, Daily Mail reported. – IANS