Protests against China’s strict Covid measures spilt into a second night and spread to the biggest cities.
Protesters gathered in the capital of Beijing and the financial centre of Shanghai.
Many held up blank sheets of paper to express their displeasure and acknowledge the censorship. Some, however, went so far as to demand the resignation of President Xi Jinping.
Millions of people have been affected by nearly three years of mass testing, quarantines and instant lockdowns.
It is very unusual for people to publicly express their anger against Communist Party leaders in China, where direct criticism of the government can result in severe punishment.
Police largely allowed the rallies to continue, but in Shanghai, officers arrested several people and cordoned off the streets on Sunday.
Hundreds of people gathered on the banks of a river in the capital Beijing for several hours on Sunday, singing the national anthem and listening to speeches.
Earlier at Beijing’s prestigious Tsinghua University, dozens of people staged a peaceful protest and sang the national anthem, according to photos and videos posted on social media.
Protests also took place during the day in the southwestern city of Chengdu and the central cities of Xi’an and Wuhan – where the Covid outbreak originated nearly three years ago.
Videos posted on social media appear to show hundreds of Wuhan residents taking to the streets, with some protesters pictured toppling barricades and breaking down metal doors.
The latest unrest follows a protest in northwest Urumqi where lockdown rules were blamed for hampering rescue efforts after a building fire in which 10 people died. Chinese authorities have denied the allegations.