Recently, villagers near the Huangshi Economic and Technological Development Zone in Hubei Province claimed that over two months ago, there was a dispute between a group of people wearing uniforms labeled “Urban Management Law Enforcement” and villagers over land acquisition issues, which escalated to physical violence against the villagers. Following the online attention the incident garnered, authorities have stated that they will investigate the situation.
According to reports from mainland media “Zonglan News” on September 14th, several villagers from Shuangtu Village in Taizi Town, Tieshan District of Huangshi Economic and Technological Development Zone, disclosed that more than two months ago, a conflict broke out between multiple individuals in uniforms and some villagers over land acquisition issues, resulting in physical altercations where some villagers were pushed into drainage ditches.
Mr. Tian (pseudonym), a villager, stated that the conflict stemmed from plans to acquire land for the construction of a gas station in the area, but the villagers were concerned about potential water source contamination and hence had been refusing to agree to the acquisition.
On July 3rd, over ten uniformed personnel appeared at a village road intersection, preventing villagers from accessing the land slated for acquisition to collect crops. The uniforms bore the words “Urban Management Law Enforcement”. Additionally, several town and village officials were present at the scene. Due to being blocked from entering their own lands, verbal altercations arose, leading to physical confrontations where many villagers were subject to violence.
Mr. Tian further mentioned that his nephew, who is in his sixties, intervened to stop the violence against a villager and was forcibly pushed into a drainage ditch by several individuals in uniform. Fortunately, the drainage ditch was dry, but his nephew sustained visible bruising on his hands, head, and waist.
Based on videos provided by villagers, “Zonglan News” journalists saw several individuals in blue uniforms pushing and shoving a man in black attire at an intersection. The man in black repeatedly retreated until he was pushed into the ditch by the individuals in blue. Subsequently, a man in short sleeves engaged in a physical conflict with one of the blue-uniformed individuals, being grabbed around the neck, thrown to the ground, and kicked.
Another villager from Shuangtu Village, Mr. Guo (pseudonym), mentioned that his mother was also present during the incident and was shoved and beaten by individuals in uniforms, resulting in injuries and multiple bruises on her body. Around a dozen villagers, mainly aged between 50 to 80, who were present at the scene, suffered varying degrees of bruising after being assaulted.
In response to the incident, the “Zonglan News” contacted the government of Taizi Town, where officials claimed that the matter had been handled, with “relevant personnel being suspended from duty”. However, these officials denied that the individuals in blue uniforms were affiliated with the government of Taizi Town. When questioned about the identities of the individuals in blue uniforms and the reasons for the violence, the officials responded that they were “uncertain”.
Furthermore, villagers revealed that following the clash, some villagers called the police, but upon the police’s arrival, they did not immediately detain the individuals responsible for the violence. As of now, the police and relevant departments have not informed them of the outcomes of the investigation.
On September 14th, journalists from “Zonglan News” called the local police station in Taizi Town, and the operators confirmed receiving the distress call, with police responding to the scene, though the specifics of the resolution remain unclear.
After creating a stir online, on September 16th, the news office of Tieshan District in the Huangshi Economic and Technological Development Zone announced the formation of a special team to investigate and verify the situation.
Video blogger and popular Weibo user “SaidGood5872” raised questions, stating, “The authorities have just initiated an investigation after more than two months?!”
Renowned Chinese lawyer Chi Susong questioned in a blog post, “Is suspending duty the solution to the problem?”
Some netizens remarked, “This is illegal and criminal behavior, assaulting others at will, especially targeting elderly victims, kicking with feet, pushing them into a ditch over two meters deep. Is suspension enough to absolve them? Does public office crime not constitute a crime?”
“Who ordered them to act this way? Without authorization, I don’t believe they would act so brazenly.”
“Urban management officers are just following orders; there must be higher-level backing behind them.”
“If no one assigned them, how could they commit such acts? Who could have authorized them? Acting so boldly in broad daylight, who is supporting them? Perhaps this is a case of thieves shouting to catch other thieves. One department can silence the public’s voices, but can they also blind their eyes?!”