Locals attack police car while defying New Year fireworks ban in China

This is the chaotic moment locals attacked a police car while defying a fireworks ban during New Year celebrations in China.Furious protesters set off the forbidden pyrotechnics in Luyi County, Henan province on January 2, flouting orders restricting their use.Footage shows the crowd swarming the police car, with some of them sitting on its bonnet and throwing bottled drinks at its windows. Firecrackers were also lit up right next to the vehicle. Another clip shows a protester triumphantly brandishing the car's license plate as he stood on its roof.Police said six people have been arrested.China has been banning or restricting fireworks across hundreds of cities since 2018 in a bid to minimise their impact on the environment.The authoritarian state, following a spate of local protests, has recently loosened its rigid zero-Covid policy.The long-awaited move is seen to facilitate the country's economic reopening, but has sparked concerns about flare-ups that could overwhelm hospitals.