Video footage from the Chinese city of Shanghai shows government-operated drones telling residents to “control your soul’s desire for freedom” and “do not open the window or sing.”
Shanghai is home to some 26 million residents, and almost all of them are currently in Covid lockdown in accordance with the Chinese Communist Party’s policies, unable to leave their homes due to state-enforced quarantine.
Video footage that was posted to Chinese social media website Weibo this week shows government drones flying outside residents’ windows at night, broadcasting public service messages via loudspeaker. Other videos show “robot dogs” patrolling the streets, ordering residents to comply via strapped-on megaphones.
“As seen on Weibo: Shanghai residents go to their balconies to sing & protest lack of supplies,” the Economist’s Alice Su wrote on Twitter. “A drone appears: ‘Please comply w covid restrictions. Control your soul’s desire for freedom. Do not open the window or sing.'”
As seen on Weibo: Shanghai residents go to their balconies to sing & protest lack of supplies. A drone appears: “Please comply w covid restrictions. Control your soul’s desire for freedom. Do not open the window or sing.” https://t.co/0ZTc8fznaV pic.twitter.com/pAnEGOlBIh
— Alice Su (@aliceysu) April 6, 2022
“There is nothing wrong with the literal translation, but it seems to us to be a witty and interesting way to make it sound easier for people,” one Chinese-speaking user stated regarding the “control your soul’s desire for freedom” command. “Not that the government wants to control the souls of the people.”
Another user wrote, “A more ‘western’ (at least American) way of saying this would be: ‘Please comply with the covid restrictions. Control your instinct for freedom. Do not open the window or sing.'”
A more “western” (at least American) way of saying this would be:
“Please comply with the covid restrictions. Control your instinct for freedom. Do not open the window or sing.”
— Voltswagen! (@huardsmith) April 6, 2022
Drones fly around Shanghai, China telling people "Do not leave your home and fight the epidemic". pic.twitter.com/W570JndPNa
— Primordilian Frenso🎹🎼🥁🎤 (@Primordilian) April 6, 2022
Full Lockdown in Shanghai, this is how they broadcast announcements.
Robot Dog + Speakers#Shanghai #COVID #Lockdown pic.twitter.com/5kJdLrnL8p
— Jay in Shanghai 🇨🇳 (@JayinShanghai) March 29, 2022
Some users drew comparisons between the measures currently being enforced in Shanghai by the Chinese government, and recommendations made by Western media officials such as Anthony Fauci.
“We can’t just say, ‘We’re done. We’re going to move on,’” Fauci insisted in March as media coverage of Covid began to die down. “We’ve got to be able to be flexible because we’re dealing with a dynamic situation.”
