CNN Sciutto: Chinese Protestors Taking Their Masks off Is an ‘Act of Courage in This Country’

COLLINS For more than ░░░░░░░░ I want to bring ░░░░░░░░ CNN anchor and Chief ░░░░░░░░ Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto ░░░░░░░░ is in Washington Jim ░░░░░░░░ have been signs of ░░░░░░░░ but do you think ░░░░░░░░ this new wave of ░░░░░░░░ is posing a bigger ░░░░░░░░ for Xi Jinping s ░░░░░░░░ SCIUTTO It is definitely ░░░░░░░░ a challenge to the ░░░░░░░░ The question is how ░░░░░░░░ of a challenge Because ░░░░░░░░ is a government that ░░░░░░░░ built a security apparatus ░░░░░░░░ two decades precisely to ░░░░░░░░ this kind of thing ░░░░░░░░ let s look at ░░░░░░░░ scale of this right ░░░░░░░░ protests happened in China ░░░░░░░░ s a country of ░░░░░░░░ than a billion and ░░░░░░░░ half people But those ░░░░░░░░ local This is national ░░░░░░░░ it is affecting China ░░░░░░░░ biggest most powerful cities ░░░░░░░░ course the capital Beijing ░░░░░░░░ business center Guangzhou in ░░░░░░░░ south Nanjing Wuhan Chongqing ░░░░░░░░ These are cities of ░░░░░░░░ of millions of people ░░░░░░░░ many cases When you ░░░░░░░░ at the protests they ░░░░░░░░ not small and isolated ░░░░░░░░ are often involving hundreds ░░░░░░░░ people out in public ░░░░░░░░ as Selina mentioned with ░░░░░░░░ masks off allows them ░░░░░░░░ be easily identified And ░░░░░░░░ is an act of ░░░░░░░░ in this country because ░░░░░░░░ is a country that ░░░░░░░░ every act of dissent ░░░░░░░░ knows who you are ░░░░░░░░ it punishes those people ░░░░░░░░ s an enormous risk ░░░░░░░░ do what these people ░░░░░░░░ doing to challenge the ░░░░░░░░ And this is something ░░░░░░░░ Xi Jinping is certainly ░░░░░░░░ They are not just ░░░░░░░░ I have a problem ░░░░░░░░ China s Covid policy ░░░░░░░░ are mentioning Xi Jinping ░░░░░░░░ name and they are ░░░░░░░░ freedoms by name Listen ░░░░░░░░ this particular point This ░░░░░░░░ in Guangzhou in the ░░░░░░░░ Listen to what the ░░░░░░░░ are saying here We ░░░░░░░░ play the clip Clip ░░░░░░░░ SCIUTTO voice over They ░░░░░░░░ saying no to lock ░░░░░░░░ yes to freedoms They ░░░░░░░░ freedom of the press ░░░░░░░░ mentioned freedom of speech ░░░░░░░░ mentioned freedom of action ░░░░░░░░ are things explicitly forbidden ░░░░░░░░ China Kaitlan COLLINS Yeah ░░░░░░░░ And that is a ░░░░░░░░ broader criticism than just ░░░░░░░░ we re sick of ░░░░░░░░ Covid restrictions.”