On October 16th, a netizen posted a video claiming that villagers in Chengwu Village, Xiwenzhen, Xuwen County, Guangdong Province, recently detained the police officers and police cars who came to arrest a rights activist in order to rescue him, ultimately forcing the police to release the individual.
According to overseas self-media outlet “Yesterday” that focuses on mainland China group incidents, due to the local government’s policy to ban the farming of sea snails, which cut off the main source of income for villagers, the villagers have been launching rights protection actions since the end of last month, continuing to do so up to the present.
In the early hours of October 15th, several maritime police officers drove into the village under the cover of darkness attempting to apprehend a rights activist villager, but were discovered by the villagers. The villagers surrounded the police car, demanding the release of the detained villager. The standoff lasted until the evening, with the police eventually being forced to release the villager they had apprehended.
Video footage from the scene showed that after the detained villager was released, the villagers gathered at the ancestral hall, setting off firecrackers to celebrate. One villager posted online saying, “We won the first round, the whole village was united and powerful.”
The video sparked discussions online, with many netizens expressing admiration: “Well done!” “Only through unity can we stand up to them.” “What place in Zhanjiang, Guangdong is this? The villagers are truly united.” “The people in Guangdong are really our role models, united and indomitable.”
“In places with close clan and family ties, there is a strong sense of resistance, just like what happened in Guizhou earlier this year!” “I used to think that the clan culture and villages in Guangdong were symbols of barbarism and lack of civilization, but now I regret not being born into a clan in Guangdong. When facing the tyranny of the communists, they always unite closely, becoming each other’s support. Admiration!”
In the face of challenges, these villagers have shown remarkable unity and resilience, standing up for their rights and interests against the authorities. This incident serves as a testament to the power of community and solidarity in the pursuit of justice.