Violent protests broke out in China’s Shaanxi province following the death of a teenage boy, with allegations of a cover-up by authorities fueling public outrage, CNN reported on Saturday.
Verified videos from the protests show demonstrators clashing with riot police outside the Pucheng Vocational Technical School. Protesters were seen hurling objects and batons at police, while others used a fire extinguisher to break a glass door. Law enforcement officers responded with force, beating and throwing some protesters to the ground.
The protests were sparked by the death of a third-year student, identified by his surname Dang, on January 2. Local authorities in Pucheng have labeled the death an accident, but social media posts and eyewitness accounts have raised suspicions of foul play.
According to a statement released by state media, Dang reportedly had a physical and verbal altercation with a first-year student, Guo, earlier in the day, which was mediated by a school official. Later that night, another student in Dang’s dormitory discovered an open sliding window with its metal mesh screen removed and found Dang had fallen to the ground below.
“The sliding window was open, and the metal mesh screen had been removed. Dang had already fallen from the window to the ground below,” the statement read, as reported by CNN.
Human Rights in China, a US-based activist group, has pointed to “suspicious circumstances” surrounding Dang’s death. The group cited witness accounts of signs of a struggle in his dormitory and alleged that Dang may have been pushed from the roof.
Protests erupted on Monday and may have continued through the week, though the situation remains unclear, CNN reported.
The incident has drawn attention to concerns over transparency and accountability in handling student safety and justice in China. Further details about the ongoing protests and investigations are awaited.
