‘Protesters in China should not be harmed or coerced,’ says US

Protesters cross the West Side Highway along 42nd Street as they gather near the Chinese consulate to stand in solidarity with their counterparts around the world demonstrating against China’s severe anti-virus restrictions. (AP Photo) Chinese universities sent students home and police fanned out in Beijing and Shanghai to prevent more protests Tuesday after crowds angered by severe anti-virus restrictions called for leader Xi Jinping to resign in the biggest show of public dissent in decades. Security forces have detained an unknown number of people and stepped up surveillance. With police out in force, there was no word of protests Tuesday…