During the military parade on September 3rd organized by the Chinese Communist Party, it was reported online that a collective food poisoning incident occurred recently at Shenyang Normal University in Liaoning Province (referred to as Shenyang Normal University). The school not only failed to take any measures but also instructed students to pretend to watch the parade. After students vented their frustrations on social media, they were even threatened through private messages by officials.
On September 1st, students and parents of Shenyang Normal University exposed on social media that as the new semester began, many parents had sent their children to school last weekend and had also tried the food at the school cafeteria. As a result, both students and parents fell ill, experiencing symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and fever.
Many parents in the video area also left comments expressing concerns, saying they sent their children to Shenyang Normal University two days ago, had a meal at the East Campus cafeteria, and their children called them later complaining of stomach issues and fever. The situation prompted worries among parents as their children continued to suffer despite seeking medical help.
Some students revealed that the “East Campus has already fallen.”
According to information shared by parents, currently, “the clinics outside the school are all filled with students from Shenyang Normal University,” and when they visit hospitals, the first question they are asked by doctors is “Are you from Shenyang Normal University?” The suspected cause of poisoning appears to be a “chemical contamination of the fecal tank in the East Campus,” which polluted the drinking water, causing many people in the area to suffer from bacterial poisoning, as the school cafeteria also used that water for cooking.
Screenshots of videos taken by students at the school showed that the tap water on campus was black like “oil” and was unusable.
However, the school seemed indifferent to the situation. According to students, the school did not provide safety guidance or notifications to other students but rather informed them to pose for photos watching the parade the next day. After the incident, “the school immediately closed the comment section.” Students who exposed the incident on social media claimed they were later threatened through private messages by individuals suspected to be officials.
One student disclosed that the other party mentioned that the police had already intervened, advised them to delete the posts since the matter was being dealt with and that their accounts had been identified.
On September 2nd, the second day of the new school year, students were afraid to eat in the campus cafeteria and had to choose between ordering takeout or having their parents bring them food. A circulated video showed the area outside Shenyang Normal University crowded with delivery personnel and parents delivering food.
After the incident gained attention online, on September 3rd, students revealed that “relevant personnel just took some samples” and “our counselor mentioned that the Health Commission had intervened.”
However, this was not the first time Shenyang Normal University had experienced a collective poisoning incident.
According to netizens, “There was already an incident in 2018. It seems that humans never learn from past mistakes. If this issue is not brought to light, Shenyang Normal University will remain indifferent.”
Netizens criticized, “The importance of students being poisoned is disregarded while the military parade takes precedence.” They also pointed out that in a communist country, major incidents are suppressed and it’s taboo to discuss them publicly. The lack of public response to the food safety incident contrasts with the prompt actions of threats and censorship, revealing the absurdist prioritization of systems over human life.