In recent developments in Liaoning Shenyang, the actions of Chinese urban management officers have once again sparked public outrage. A street vendor, described as an elderly man, was violently evicted by these officers, leading to a heated confrontation. The vendor, in response to the officers’ actions, hurled insults at them, calling them “bandits,” and even threw a brick at one of the officers, causing a stir on social media.
On May 14th, in the streets of Shenyang, Liaoning, a clash occurred between urban management officers and the street vendor. A video circulated online showed a scene in a park alley in Shenyang where many people were setting up street stalls. Several officers in uniform were forcibly trying to remove the vendor, accusing him of occupying too much space for his stall.
One of the officers attempted to seize something from the vendor’s hands, leading to a confrontation where the vendor fiercely resisted, questioning the officer’s actions. A woman, who seemed to be with the vendor, quickly intervened to mediate the situation.
The vendor angrily rebuked the officers, saying, “What kind of people are you, acting like bandits and creating conflicts while supposedly maintaining order?”
Despite the vendor’s protests, the officers continued to clear his stall, throwing all his belongings onto the roadside. When the woman tried to intervene, she was dragged by one of the officers and fell to the ground.
Witnessing this, the already angered vendor let out a deep sigh and then picked up a brick, charging towards one of the officers. He struck the officer twice, causing the officer to fall and sustain head injuries, resulting in bleeding. Subsequently, the vendor was subdued by several officers.
As the vendor struck the officer, onlookers cheered in support.
The Heping District Government of Shenyang reported on the 15th that the vendor had illegally occupied multiple stalls, refused to cooperate with the clearance, and used a brick to assault the officers, resulting in multiple fractures for one of them. The vendor was taken away by the police for further action.
Many mainland Chinese netizens criticized the officers as being part of the “underworld” and expressed solidarity with the vendor:
“The vendor used the brick because the woman was pushed down, this is chivalrous!” “What a hero.” “Self-defense.” “Without them, the world would be more peaceful.”
The video, which was shared on an overseas platform, also caught the attention of international netizens.
Meson: “Historical cycle. The end of the Communist Party era is coming.”
JJ: “Truly heartbreaking, where is the livelihood of the common people?”
Neo Kurt Erge: “Is it reasonable for the urban management officers to have the word ‘police’ on their armbands?”
X: “At the moment when the brick struck down, I heard the crowd cheering, indicating many underlying issues.”