The group was seen pushing towards a dismantled dam and being forcibly passed by panicked officials wearing blue PPE, in shots taken in Changzhou, Jiangsu, near Shanghai. 6 Desperate residents filmed crossing a roadblockCredit: Twitter 6 Helpless officials try to stand their ground, but can not contain the crowdCredit: Twitter 6 Some team members manage to overcome the obstacleCredit: Twitter A helpless official tries to rebuild a gate pushed to the side by the group, some members of the mob forcefully cross the roadblock. The video, which was posted on Twitter, had the caption: “Food riots in Shanghai – China’s largest and richest city – under the auspices of the coronavirus.” But with Shanghai residents confined to their homes with orders not to leave, even for groceries, there is controversy over the video. There are claims that the clip is actually of people rushing to PCR tests in the midst of another tense moment during the pandemic. People have been instructed to order food and water while waiting for state deliveries of vegetables, meat and eggs. But with the services flooded, some are starving, fueling public outrage as the city faces the largest Covid outbreak ever. It comes as heartbreaking videos circulating on the internet with starving shoppers raiding supermarkets. Desperate looters looking for food seem to be searching through boxes and fleeing with packaged goods after breaking through dams. The world’s third largest city has been in full quarantine due to Covid since April 5, with food stocks reportedly depleted as the Chinese government struggles to cope. Chinese authorities initially planned a gradual lockdown in the eastern and western parts of the city on March 28. However, the measure was extended to the entire city without a scheduled end on April 5, as cases rose to record highs in Shanghai. On Friday, a record 21,000 positive cases were recorded in the city as authorities stepped up a rigorous mass testing program. Some people have been completely barred from leaving their homes to procure supplies for more than two weeks. Disturbing footage was recorded as ordinary citizens in Shanghai appeared to start screaming from their windows after being barred from leaving their homes for more than a week. The video, originally posted on Chinese social media, shows Shanghai’s night skyline, with dozens of apartment buildings visible. In the background, dozens of screaming voices are heard spontaneously, seemingly from various locations. Anger has risen in the region over allegations that parents are separating from their children if they test positive, the BBC reported. The Shanghai authorities modified their response to allow parents who were also infected to join their children in solitary confinement, but Reuters understands that this has not been the case in all cases. Amid growing frustration with the latest lockdown restrictions, the animal abuse video has sparked further outrage on the internet. A pet corgi was seen beaten to death after its owner tested positive for Covid amid a severe lockdown. 6 Shanghai residents have been filmed looking for a supermarket for food and other suppliesCredit: TWITTER / BYRON WAN 6 Workers wearing PPE show up next to food supplied by local government to residents Credit: AFP 6 Firefighters wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) unload supplies against the epidemicCredit: Getty
