Chinese universities sent their students home, and Shanghai police fanned out to stop more protests Tuesday. Protests were sparked by anti-virus restrictions and anger from the masses compelled Xi Jinping, the leader of the largest demonstration of public dissent since decades to resign.

Although some restrictions have been relaxed following demonstrations in at most eight mainland cities and Hong Kong, authorities are not showing any signs of abandoning their larger “zero COVID” strategy which has kept millions of people from their homes for many months. Unknown numbers of people have been detained by security forces and increased surveillance.

There was no news Tuesday of protests in Beijing, Shanghai, or any other major cities on the mainland that witnessed large crowds gather over the weekend. These demonstrations were unprecedented in the 20 years since the army overthrew the student-led pro-democracy movement that was centered around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

On Tuesday, a smaller group protested the restrictions on virus use at a Hong Kong university.

Tsinghua University in Beijing, where students rallied over weekend, and other schools from the capital and southern province of Guangdong stated that they were protecting students against COVID-19 by sending them back.

However, dispersing them to distant places reduces the chance of further demonstrations. China’s leaders are particularly wary of universities because they have been hotbeds for activism, including the Tiananmen demonstrations.

Tsinghua students were informed Sunday that they could return home early and that buses would be arranged to transport them to the airport or train station.

Tsinghua’s nine student dorms were closed Monday due to students being positive for COVID-19. One person who noticed that the closure would make crowds difficult to gather noted that it was closing. For fear of reprisals from authorities, Chen was the only surname that Chen gave to Chen.

Beijing Forestry University said that it would also arrange for students to return home. It stated that all of its students and faculty tested negative for the virus.

Universities stated that classes and final exams will be held online.

According to Dali Yang, a University of Chicago expert on Chinese politics, authorities hope to “defuse” the situation by clearing campuses.

He said that protests could continue as a “rotational” mode, depending on how difficult the government’s position is. New groups would take turns.

Many are now nervous that protestors were detained by police and warned against protesting again.

According to witnesses, Shanghai police stopped pedestrians Monday night and searched their phones for images or apps that were banned in China. For fear of arrest, the witness insisted on anonymity and said that he was going to protest, but didn’t find any people when he arrived.

The Associated Press viewed images from a weekend protest that showed police forcing people into cars. After the protests had ended, some people were taken into police custody.

According to two friends, one such person was held up on Sunday near the scene of a protest in Shanghai. He was then released until Tuesday morning.

According to a friend, Beijing police visited a Beijing resident who had been at a protest the night before. He refused to identify him for fear of reprisal. According to him, the police stopped the resident from participating in further protests and questioned him.

A dozen people rallied at the University of Hong Kong on Tuesday to protest virus restrictions. They also held up pieces of paper bearing critical slogans. Many were from the mainland which has its own legal system, while some others joined the chanting.

Protesters displayed signs that said, “Say no COVID panic” as well as “No dictatorship except democracy.”

One shouted, “We’re your classmates not foreign forces!” This is a reference to Chinese authorities frequently accusing foreign powers fomenting dissent.

China’s zero-COVID policy has kept case numbers lower than in the United States, but global health experts are increasingly criticizing the method as unsustainable.

This policy ensures that very few Chinese have been exposed. As seniors age, the rates of elderly vaccinations in China are lower than other countries. China’s vaccines are also less effective that those developed abroad.

The public’s tolerance for the severe restrictions is waning as people who are confined to their homes claim they have difficulty accessing food and medicine.

The Chinese Communist Party had promised to lessen disruptions last month, but an increase in infections has forced cities to tighten their controls.

Protests erupted over last week’s deaths of at least 10 victims in a fire that broke out in China’s Far West. This prompted anger online and angry questions about whether anti-virus controls were used to stop firefighters from fleeing or victims.

Xi was the most powerful leader in China since the 1980s.

A crowd of people in Shanghai shouted “Xi Jinping!” on Saturday, according to video from The Associated Press. Step down! CCP! “Step down!” This direct criticism of Xi’s character is rare.

Sympathy protests were held abroad, and foreign governments called for Beijing to restrain themselves.

Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State of the United States, stated to reporters that the American position regarding protests in China was the exact same as for any other demonstrations.

He said, while speaking in Bucharest, Romania on Tuesday, “We support people everywhere’s right to peacefully protest, make known their views and their concerns, and their frustrations.”

The British government summoned China’s ambassador to protest the beating and arrest of a BBC cameraman from Shanghai.

James Cleverly, Foreign Secretary, stated that it was “incredibly important” to protect media freedom. It is very important to the U.K.’s belief systems.

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, disputed the U.K. version. He claimed Edward Lawrence did not identify himself as a journalist and accused the BBC of twisting events.

When Zhao was asked about the criticisms of the crackdown Zhao said that Beijing’s antivirus strategy was legal and the rights of the public were protected under law.

He stated that the government is working to provide maximum protection for people’s health and well-being, while also minimizing COVID impacts on economic and social development.

Wang Dan, who was a student leader in the 1989 protests, now lives in exile, stated that the protest “symbolizes a new era” in China. He said that the protest showed that the Chinese civil society is not content to remain silent but will confront tyranny.

He warned, however.