Recently, netizens exposed that steel pipes were welded onto benches at the “Shenzhen Haoren” Park in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province. Local residents explained that the benches were welded with steel pipes to prevent day laborers from the Zhonghua Garden community from sleeping on them and affecting the city’s appearance. “In the summer, you can lie down anywhere, but there are not many places to lie down in the winter when it’s windy and rainy. The benches were also welded, and personnel were specifically arranged to patrol and drive people away.”
According to the report by Fengmian News, on December 4th, a reporter contacted a laborer named Afei (pseudonym) in the Kunshan Development Zone.
Afei explained that Zhonghua Garden is a gathering place for migrant workers in the area, and many day laborers will set up tents or stay overnight on the benches at Shenzhen Haoren Park. “It seems like the benches in the park were welded with steel pipes as early as late October. Some day laborers stay here for a week…”
Regarding the online rumors that personnel were specially arranged to patrol and drive away day laborers to prevent them from staying overnight, the reporter called the Greening Management Office of the Kunshan Economic and Technological Development Zone. The staff member said, “I don’t know much about this here. The current situation should be based on the official report.”
This incident sparked an uproar on the internet. Under public pressure, the Qingyang Urban Management Office of Kunshan City responded on December 4th, stating that the situation reported by netizens was true, and the dividers installed on the benches in the park had been removed overnight.
Internet technology blogger and Weibo influencer “Internet Material Sister” said, “Can’t we show a little more tolerance to those who have no place to go? Truly serving the people means reducing the number of people who have nowhere to sleep or go, instead of blocking their way and pouring another pot of water on their difficult lives.”
Writer and Weibo influencer “Plate Micro Talk” said, “Many elderly migrant workers sleep in the park benches overnight in the freezing cold winter to save money, shivering in the cold. However, local officials think it affects the city’s appearance, in other words, they are afraid of affecting their own image…”
“Later on, this incident angered the public, and the higher-ups became aware of it. Local officials, fearing public opinion backlash, quickly issued a statement saying they would remove the iron bars welded to the benches… The cold announcement did not contain any apology or hint of humanity.”
“However, this cycle of welding and dismantling, all funded by taxpayers’ money, does not show any empathy for the hard-earned money of the common people. After all, it’s the taxpayers’ money, how could they possibly empathize?”
Internet technology blogger and Weibo influencer “Xiaoyao Liu Jie” said, “This inhuman design of welding and dismantling seems like a two-way toll, doesn’t it?”
A contracted expert in the “Famous Column” of Zhiyin Net and Weibo influencer “Liao Xiaoli” said, “The beauty of a city lies not only in its surface cleanliness but also in whether it can accommodate every person striving to live here. This cycle of installation and removal has chilled the hearts of many ordinary people!”