When will the pandemic end?

Carilyn Pointer - After nearly three years of living with the covid-19 pandemic, normalcy has begun to return. In China, however, covid restrictions remain strict. Following the deaths of ten people in an apartment fire where it is believed Covid-19 restrictions prevented them from escaping, protests have developed. Protests are spreading throughout the country, epitomizing role of scale in making a demonstration effective.

Scale defines the geographic extent of a political action. It starts at the individual level and slowly grows in size until it reaches a global level. The protests in China started out at the local level. Citizens discontent with having their freedom restricted took to the streets. Momentum continued to escalate as it spread across cities and college campuses. The apartment fire that claimed ten lives added impetus to the protests. This was no longer a small-scale local protest, it was national news. People began chanting for their president, Xi Jinping, to step down. They brought a local conflict to the national level. While news of this protest has reached global eyes and ears, it is unlikely to spark action towards China regarding this issue on the global stage. Most countries avoid violent conflict when possible and will not engage in what is considered only a national scale dispute. Scale has both increased the momentum of the protests while also limiting the extent of its reach. Understanding how scale impacts a movement or conflict can reveal potential outcomes or trends. That comprehension can then be used as an effective tool to sustain momentum long enough for change to happen.

Connecting scale to the concept of place furthers our perception of these protests. Places are the settings of an individual’s experiences, or where people live their day-to-day lives. Bridging these concepts gives more meaning and significance to these protests by actualizing the reality of the situation. Individuals have been affected and even killed because of these restrictions and understanding the connection between the local’s experience and the large-scale protests gives more intensity and awareness of their situation.