Was bizarre seeing the protests out tonight. Lots of demonstrations, people getting dragged out on Wulumuqi (Urumqi) road. This is foreigner and embassy central in Shanghai, the US Consulate General is in fact located there. People are pissed and sick and tired of this shit, even if they mostly think compliance is their only option. Cops abandoned most of the city to mass and cordon off parts of the street and arrest people. Which meant great news for me, could run red lights and bike like a maniac once I got the fuck away. But again, I've literally never seen anything like this. Chinese people are slaves by nature and temperament, little bothers them in terms of how the world is run, they only wish to have meat and to never think, or try, ever. But the insanity that's taken hold of the party is very peculiar, and unlike any I know of from the past. They've been trying to signal to wind down, but the madness is way too deep and institutionalized at this point. The easiest way to get promoted is to be a dick about covid. And they're really, really pushing people too far.