During the “May Day” holiday, a violent incident occurred on the streets of mainland China. On May 3rd, a man in his fifties in Chongqing set fire to his own self-driven motorcycle on the street, then attacked two people with a knife, leaving them severely injured before ultimately committing suicide by cutting his own throat.
At around 12:20 pm on May 3rd, according to reports from JiMu News, a man ignited his motorcycle outside a store on Shaanxi Road in Yuzhong District, Chongqing, with the intention of setting it on fire. He was subdued by bystanders, during which two people were injured.
Multiple videos from the scene showed the motorcycle engulfed in flames, thick smoke billowing, and the man wielding a dagger fighting against several male civilians and security guards on the street. Pedestrians fled in fear as the violent man took a metal rod from a man in black clothing who fell while trying to escape, and then repeatedly stabbed him with the knife. In other footage, a man in black clothing was seen clutching his injured arm as he ran away, and another man in blue sat on the street holding his chest, his clothes stained red with blood. The attacker eventually sat down on the street and used a short knife to commit suicide by slitting his throat.
Currently, the cause of the incident and the exact number of casualties remain unclear.
The Yuzhong District Branch of Chongqing Public Security Bureau released a statement attempting to downplay the event, stating around 12:20 pm on May 3rd, a suspect named Li (54 years old) ignited the motorcycle outside a store on Shaanxi Road in Yuzhong District, with an intent to provoke disturbances. The statement mentioned that Li was subdued by civilians, and during the process, “2 individuals were injured” and the suspect “has been controlled by the police.”
In response to this, Chinese legal expert Luo Xiang posted a video on overseas social media platforms on the 4th, stating, “The police announcement is hilariously absurd! Is this what they call being subdued by force? Clearly, he committed suicide by cutting his own throat and sat down!”
In recent years, with the economic decline in mainland China, there has been growing public discontent and incidents of retaliations against society. Luo Xiang believes that “the increasing number of incidents of ‘Xianzhong’ in recent years have proven that the public security in China has worsened under the collapse of the economy.”
The incident has incited public outrage online. Netizens expressed sentiments such as “terrifying,” “Whatever the reason, I feel this person was truly desperate,” “The evils of socialism,” “China is already collapsing, Chinese people just haven’t realized it,” “We are almost at the limit, everyone should rebel as soon as possible.”
Some criticized the authorities, stating, “Provoking disturbances? Pocket charges are so conveniently used, right?”