Recently, a girl in Jiangyou City, Sichuan Province, fell victim to bullying, sparking massive protests among the public due to the lack of action by the Chinese authorities. The authorities dispatched a large number of riot police to suppress the protests, leading to clashes where many protesters were subjected to violence and arrests. This incident has attracted attention from overseas observers, with some commentators noting that the discontent among the people is like landmines that could be detonated at any moment. The authorities’ crackdown is further undermining the legitimacy of their regime, reflecting the extreme weakness of the Chinese Communist Party, with people’s resistance becoming the biggest variable in Chinese society.
In recent days, a 14-year-old girl in Jiangyou City was taken by peers to an unfinished building, where she was forced to undress and subjected to insults and physical abuse. The perpetrators later posted a video of the incident online, triggering public outrage.
Based on interviews and online reports from the Epoch Times yesterday (August 4), it was revealed that the mother of the victim is deaf and mute, and the girl frequently experienced bullying. The perpetrators had been taken to the police station previously but were quickly released due to being underage, without facing punishment. Despite the victim’s family urging action, the authorities ignored the situation for days. An informant disclosed that some of the perpetrators are second-generation officials.
Under public pressure, the local public security bureau issued a notice on August 4, stating that the victim had only suffered “minor injuries” according to assessments and that two of the perpetrators had received “public security penalties,” while the others were only subjected to “criticism and education.” On the same day, a large number of citizens gathered at the Jiangyou City government to seek justice for the victim. Interviewees reported that there were possibly thousands of people present. The parents and uncle of the assaulted student were also there, with parents kneeling to urge the government to address the issue.
Initially, the Jiangyou City authorities communicated with the protesters and brought them into the government hall for dialogue. However, a large number of riot police from Mianyang City (estimated over a thousand) were later dispatched to violently suppress the protests. Jiangyou City is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Mianyang City.
Videos showed numerous protesting citizens being arrested at the entrance of the Jiangyou City government. The authorities publicly loaded them into trucks for transporting pigs. The police’s actions incited resistance from the public. In the evening, protesters continued to gather, singing, chanting slogans, and confronting the police. Around midnight, the authorities began a violent clearance operation, with the crowd throwing stones, water bottles, and other objects at the police. At least dozens of protesters were arrested on the scene.
Political and economic observer Qin Peng, based in the United States, told the Epoch Times that after years of suppression by the Chinese Communist Party, many Chinese people tend to turn a blind eye to issues around them. They often choose to ignore problems, even hesitating to help an elderly person who falls down. Those speaking out in this case have no direct relationship with the girl or her family but are driven by a sense of justice and conscience to criticize the authorities and demand law enforcement. However, the authorities responding by arresting and assaulting protesters, treating them like livestock by throwing them into trucks, has shifted the nature of the issue.
Qin Peng stated that the entire incident is evolving. The CCP views this kind of protest that is beyond its control as a threat to its regime, hence resorting to violent suppression, which in turn fuels more protests. At this point, the people’s protest is against the CCP regime itself. The authorities’ crackdown will further erode the legitimacy of their regime, allowing more people to see that the CCP has lost any ability to address societal grievances.
Independent commentator Tang Jingyuan told the Epoch Times that campus bullying incidents in mainland China have been common in recent years, with some escalating to severe levels resulting in serious injuries or even casualties. However, none have sparked as much social outcry as the Jiangyou incident. This signifies that under the CCP’s control, Chinese society has become a dangerous powder keg, with tinder scattered everywhere, where a small spark could potentially ignite a raging fire.
Prominent activist Wang Dan mentioned in a YouTube program that the rapid and extensive development of the Jiangyou incident far exceeded most people’s expectations. This inevitably draws parallels to the White Paper Movement in 2022, which similarly erupted without warning. The root cause lies in the accumulated grievances within Chinese society over the years – social inequality, abuse of official power, institutional indifference. These grievances are akin to landmines, ready to be detonated at any moment.
Wang Dan emphasized that the protesters in Jiangyou are not professional activists or dissidents but ordinary people driven by moral indignation over concrete grievances, rather than abstract pursuits of democracy and freedom. Their anger stems from a genuine sense of injustice within society, leading to a moral imperative of “no more silence.”
On the day before the Jiangyou incident, on August 1st and 2nd, in the Shiqiaopu Community of Puming Street, Gaonan District, Mianyang City, hundreds of tenants took to the streets for two consecutive days to block roads in protest of the community’s forced collection of parking fees.
Wang Dan stated that the consecutive occurrences of the Mianyang and Jiangyou incidents are intriguing. The latter is driven by moral outrage, while the former pertains to cost-of-living issues. However, the root cause of both is the same – conflicts of interest between grassroots people and the ruling authorities.
He highlighted that people’s resistance is the biggest variable in Chinese society. The Jiangyou incident demonstrates the public’s nearing threshold of tolerance for systemic apathy. The use of pepper spray and violence by the police against peacefully assembled citizens indicates that local governments greatly fear the inner discontent of the people, exceeding what external observers may anticipate.
He further noted the emergence of a new model of protest, shifting from the organized, leader-driven protests of the past in mainland China to a decentralized mode of resistance. A single video or post on social media can swiftly ignite widespread action. From the Li Wenliang incident to the Iron Chain Woman incident and now, protesters have never vanished but are awaiting the right moment.
Independent commentator Du Zheng revealed in an article for Taiwanese media “The Reporter” earlier this year that there is a circle in China primarily composed of businessmen, some mid-level officials, and even some police officers. They engage in group discussions through secure software, aiming to enlighten the Chinese people on democratic values whenever an opportunity arises. Some participants have left the country after participating in the White Paper Movement, but others hope to wait for a change in the domestic situation. When the future of China shifts, they are sure to respond appropriately.