UPDATED

Residents of Hubei province in China teamed up with their local police force to battle the police from neighboring Jiangxi province – who set up a roadblock on the Yangtze River Bridge to prevent the people of Hubei from crossing and returning to work.

Violent clashes erupted on a bridge between China’s virus-stricken Hubei province and neighbouring Jiangxi province, days after authorities relaxed an epidemic lockdown.

Police vehicles were overturned and police scuffled with each other amid large crowds of shouting people, according to a series of videos posted to Chinese social media. The confrontation came after authorities in Jiangxi blocked entry to people from Hubei, local media reported.

Hubei this week lifted its lockdown of areas of the province outside Wuhan.

But deep distrust has taken root across China toward people from Hubei, fuelled by fear of COVID-19, which spread widely in the province, as well as skepticism of official reassurances that the epidemic has been successfully suppressed. People from Hubei have been refused entry to hotels and their homes, even if they were not in Hubei during the past two months. On social media, people have reported being barred from entering Beijing merely because their hometown is in Hubei.

Footage of Hubei residents overturning Jingxi police vehicles was captured and uploaded to Chinese social media – where Chinese authorities have reportedly already scrubbed it.

There are MASSIVE protests developing right now on the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge that joins the Hubei and Jiangxi provinces in Eastern China. The situation is rapidly evolving. THREAD ???? pic.twitter.com/4J2LCdssDd — Things China Doesn't Want You To Know (@TruthAbtChina) March 27, 2020

Civilians overturning a police vehicle…

There are MASSIVE protests developing right now on the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge that joins the Hubei and Jiangxi provinces in Eastern China. The situation is rapidly evolving. THREAD ???? pic.twitter.com/4J2LCdssDd — Things China Doesn't Want You To Know (@TruthAbtChina) March 27, 2020

…and another. pic.twitter.com/9c4Y8qjs3i — Things China Doesn't Want You To Know (@TruthAbtChina) March 27, 2020

More police arriving:

More police arriving. pic.twitter.com/QwoCcpORDO — Things China Doesn't Want You To Know (@TruthAbtChina) March 27, 2020

These videos have already been removed from WeChat and Weibo, presumably by the #CCP. pic.twitter.com/q1U5IdZ0sY — Things China Doesn't Want You To Know (@TruthAbtChina) March 27, 2020

Protests are definitely becoming violent. This is happening RIGHT NOW and the videos are being taken down from Chinese social media almost as fast as they are going up! ⚠️ THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING IN CHINA ⚠️ SPREAD this thread far and wide!☝️ pic.twitter.com/4SirkL6aSS — Things China Doesn't Want You To Know (@TruthAbtChina) March 27, 2020

At one point rioters snatched a police shield and began beating Jiangxi officers with it.

The civilians from Hubei stole a riot shield from Jiangxi police and are beating them with it! pic.twitter.com/NQstRTooHS — Things China Doesn't Want You To Know (@TruthAbtChina) March 27, 2020

This man confirms the riots were sparked by Jiangxi police crossing into Hubei's jurisdiction. pic.twitter.com/TpoeSHq3Qn — Things China Doesn't Want You To Know (@TruthAbtChina) March 27, 2020

Here is another view of Hubei residents flipping over a Jiangxi police van. What's nice about this view is that it clearly shows the Hubei police simply watching, if not helping, the Hubei civilians destroy Jiangxi police vehicles. pic.twitter.com/ueVKHbGxB5 — Things China Doesn't Want You To Know (@TruthAbtChina) March 27, 2020

STORY SOURCE : ZEROHEDGE