On the evening of October 27th, a fierce clash erupted between street vendors and urban management officers at the Yingtian Street night market in Shangqiu City, Henan Province, resulting in multiple injuries.
According to a self-media account “Yesterday” that focuses on collective protests in China, on October 28th, the incident stemmed from the local government’s measure to close down Shangqiu’s largest night market for 100 days under the pretext of “preventing air pollution.”
Some vendors revealed that the Yingtian Street night market had been gradually shut down since September this year, starting with non-fee charging vendors initially, but recently expanding to fee-charging vendors as well. Due to the prolonged loss of livelihood and inability to sustain basic living, some vendors were forced to reopen for business.
On the evening of the 27th, local urban management officers used violence to evict a vendor who had resumed operations, triggering strong dissatisfaction and collective resistance from other vendors, leading to a clash between the two parties.
Videos of the incident show a large number of onlookers surrounding the scene, causing a commotion. Some citizens appeared to have been injured during the conflict, sitting helpless on the ground. In the videos, ambulances can be seen parked at the scene.
Eyewitnesses reported that the scene of the conflict was chaotic, with multiple injuries, and stated that “eight ambulances had been dispatched.” The conflict continued late into the night on that day.