The country’s leadership is facing a wave of protest not seen in decades, fuelled by anger over the unrelenting lockdowns as well as deep-rooted frustrations over China’s political direction. A deadly fire last week in Urumqi, the capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang region, was the catalyst for public outrage, with protesters taking to the streets of cities around the country over the weekend. The demonstrators said Covid restrictions were to blame for hampering rescue efforts — claims the government denied as it accused “forces with ulterior motives” of linking the fire to the strict virus measures. ADVERTISEMENT ‘So many police’…