In the early hours of July 31, in front of the government building in Anshan City, Liaoning Province, many young people wearing masks and holding toy guns were seen street racing. Authorities deployed over 200 police officers, leading to the arrest of 103 young people and the confiscation of 61 vehicles.
According to reports from various mainland media outlets such as Liaoshen Evening News, in the early hours of the 31st, in front of the Anshan City Hall roundabout, a large number of young people were seen riding motorcycles or driving cars for street racing. Some were speeding and drifting on motorcycles, with the tires rubbing against the road emitting white smoke. Some even took off their shirts and stuck their heads out of sunroofs to shout. Others wore masks and brandished toy guns, attracting hundreds of onlookers. Local residents reported that such “street explosions” had been happening for several consecutive nights.
Multiple videos circulating online show a large number of police cars being deployed to intercept the motorcycles and vehicles involved, leading to the on-the-spot arrest of many young people. In one of the videos, a man can be heard saying, “They are all undercover.”
A comment left by a netizen under the video stated, “Watching the video didn’t kill me, but there were more people watching the excitement behind the scenes than those watching the show.”
According to the announcement from the Anshan police, a total of 240 police officers were deployed that night to implement comprehensive control over key sections around Victory Square and commercial district roads, resulting in the arrest of 103 suspects and the confiscation of 61 vehicles involved in the incidents. It was reported that all individuals involved were teenagers, with some not having a valid driver’s license, and most vehicles had been illegally modified and driven without proper registration.
The term “street racing” refers to the act of driving vehicles on the road at high speeds, engaging in competitive racing, frequent lane changes, stepping on the gas pedal aggressively, and creating loud noises for the purpose of showing off skills, entertainment, or even gambling. Ultimately, such activities are cracked down upon by authorities.
According to previous reports from Xinhua News Agency, in recent years, street racing has been rampant in many cities and the summer months are particularly high-risk periods. In May of last year, in just one area of Shandong province, crackdowns were carried out 112 times, resulting in the confiscation of over 7000 illegally modified vehicles.
It was reported that among those dealt with in these crackdown efforts, minors accounted for as high as seventy percent of the cases.