Recently, near the People’s Park in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, a group beating incident occurred, which has raised concerns. Official sources stated that 17 people have been arrested in connection to the incident. However, according to several internet users, this incident is not an isolated case but has been happening for many years. It was revealed that the incident took place across from the Jinshui Sub-Bureau and next to the City Public Security Bureau, yet they had not intervened, even when victims sought help by calling the police, they were visited by the police instead.
A leaked video on the internet showed a group of young men wielding sticks and spray, attacking and chasing a person in the park at night. They continuously insulted the victim, asking questions like “Are you a one or a zero?” and “Looking for a man?” When the victim denied, they faced even more brutal attacks.
According to a report by Phoenix News, at least 5 attackers posed as homosexuals on social networking apps, created false identities, gained trust, and lured victims to the park. Once the victim’s identity was confirmed, they surrounded and attacked the victim with sticks, batons, and spray, and even filmed the violence to gain online popularity.
Ironically, the incident took place near the police station. Local internet users mentioned, “Just a hundred meters away across the street is Jinshui Sub-Bureau,” and “Less than 500 meters from the East Gate of Zhengzhou People’s Park is the Zhengzhou City Public Security Bureau,” “Even the National Security Bureau is there.”
Netizens expressed their disbelief, saying, “These people are audacious, daring to fight right in front of the police station,” and “They don’t care at all.” Others commented, “They really slapped their faces.”
On the 9th, Red Star News reported that 17 suspects have been apprehended by the police. 11 have been criminally detained, while 6 have been administratively detained (5 of them were not executed due to being underage).
The report also stated, “The individuals mentioned established contact through the internet, acted spontaneously multiple times, and coordinated the crime.”
The official explanation has caused skepticism online. Comments read, “What does acting spontaneously and coordinating the crime mean? It’s no wonder, Henan is a place of personal relationships,” and “Such spontaneous actions, who dares to go to Zhengzhou now, with a police station right next to it.”
An informed source revealed, “In the video, one of the beaten individuals was a member of my QQ group. We reported to the police at the time, but a month later, there was still no result. So, seeking help on Douyin, the video disappeared the next day. According to him, he was visited. These incidents at People’s Park are not targeted at a specific group but have been rampant for many years for various reasons.”
Well-known Weibo blogger “Kawasaki Shinichi” indicated, “By repeatedly comparing the dialogues in several assault videos, it can be concluded that the attackers are engaging in organized and premeditated fishing activities.”
Another prominent Weibo user, “I’ve been recommended,” stated, “These individuals prepared tools in advance and had clear division of labor, clearly indicating premeditated violence, yet it is belittled as ‘spur of the moment.’ How can one not feel angry?” “What should have been the safest place has become a ‘safe zone’ for attackers.”
On the evening of the 9th, the topic “Police Response to the Beating Incident at Zhengzhou People’s Park” soared to the top of the trending list.
Several netizens confirmed that similar incidents are not rare. One testimonial mentioned, “On May 31, they beat a pedestrian who was alone. After the victim reported to the police, they disappeared for a month. They discovered that it was easier to deceive homosexuals, who were less likely to report, so they pretended to be homosexuals to lure and beat them.”
“About ten years ago during the summer vacation, when I was in junior high school, I was randomly attacked by young people in Zhengzhou People’s Park one night; it was the only time I was assaulted by a group, thankfully without weapons.”
Weibo blogger “Kawasaki Shinichi” also shared, “Years ago, I received submissions where straight men deliberately baited individuals to extort money and pretentiously claimed ‘removing harm for the people.'”
On the 10th, a netizen commented on the video section, “Be careful at night, those five individuals are still roaming and seeking targets.”