By Charlotte Webster-
Virologist Zhang Yongzhen,(pictured) the first scientist to publish a sequence of the Covid-19 virus in China, is staging a sit-in protest after authorities locked him out of his lab.
This move has sparked concerns about government pressure on scientists and the control over information related to the coronavirus outbreak.
Zhang Yongzhen and his team were unexpectedly notified of their eviction from their lab, marking another blow in a series of setbacks and demotions since he published the virus sequence in early January 2020.
This incident sheds light on the Chinese government’s efforts to manage and restrict scientific research to avoid scrutiny of its handling of the pandemic.
In a now-deleted post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, Zhang revealed his protest, stating that he had been sitting outside his lab despite pouring rain since Sunday.
The deletion of his post raises questions about censorship and freedom of expression in China.
While Zhang declined to speak about the situation when reached by phone on Tuesday, a collaborator confirmed the ongoing protest to the Associated Press on Monday.
The protest underscores the challenges faced by scientists in China who seek to conduct independent research and share their findings transparently. It also highlights the broader issue of government control over information and the suppression of dissenting voices.
This development comes amid global efforts to understand the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic and the role of scientific research in combating future health crises.
The treatment of scientists like Zhang Yongzhen raises concerns about the integrity of scientific inquiry and the need for greater transparency in public health emergencies.