People in the Chinese city of Guangzhou clashed with riot police in hazmat suits on Tuesday night as authorities investigated more of those who have taken part in a string of protests against the world’s toughest COVID-19 restrictions. The demonstrations, which escalated over the weekend as they spread to Shanghai, Beijing and elsewhere, are one of the biggest acts of public defiance seen since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012.

The southern city of Guangzhou became the latest to announce an easing of curbs on Wednesday, but with record numbers of cases nationwide, there seems little prospect of a major U-turn in a policy that Xi has said is saving lives and has proclaimed as one of his political achievements. Announcing the lifting of lockdowns in parts of Guangzhou, authorities did not mention the protests and the district where Tuesday’s violence flared remained under the tight controls.