China's recent wave of protests started with an apartment fire.

It happened in the western region of Xinjiang, at least 10 people died in that fire.

Morners blame the government's zero COVID lockdown policy.

They said it prevented residents from getting out or rescuers from entering in time.

The grief quickly turned into anger and sparked more protests around the country.

Some demonstrators demanded the end of China's zero COVID policy.

But, some called for Chinese leaders Xi Jinping's resignation.

Collectively, the protests were the biggest anti-government demonstration since 1989, and the Tiananmen's square massacre.

Chinese officials seemed caught off guard at first, but they soon cracked down and effectively shut down the unrest.

For now.

Consider this, the protests in China may have been silenced in the short term.

But could this be the start of a new political awakening?

From NPR, I'm Wana Summers, it's Thursday, December 1st.

It's consider this from NPR.

Thousands of people across China broke decades of relative silence last week.

Many were protesting the lockdowns that have been at the heart of China's strict zero COVID policy.

A 29-year-old writer who identified himself as Yi talked to NPR from a protest in Beijing.

You're hearing his words voiced by an actor for safety reasons.

Yi said he was just worn out by what his daily life had become.

I wake up worried if my COVID test is up to date, if my digital health code is still green, and where I can go to eat, if the restaurants are even still open.

He said he brought flowers to the protest, to more than those who died during that deadly lockdown fire last week.

It was my first time ever buying flowers, actually. I held them as a silent protest.

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