Chinese authorities remove rare protest banners calling for Xi’s ouster, end to Covid policies

Beijing: Beijing authorities removed rare banners of political protest from an overpass in the Chinese capital, according to images circulated widely on social media on Thursday, just days before the start of a twice-in-a-decade Communist Party congress. The banners bore several slogans, including a call for President Xi Jinping's ouster and an end to strict COVID-19 policies, according to numerous images and videos circulated on Twitter, which is blocked in China. Smoke could be seen emanating from the roadway above where the banners were hung in Beijing's northwestern Haidian district, according to the images. Haidian is home to several prestigious…